About the artist, icons & egg tempera painting 

Alina Smolyansky: Icon painter, egg tempera artist, educator

My journey into the world of icon painting began unexpectedly, marked by a profound spiritual awakening in 2008. While researching for an article on diverse spiritual paths, I encountered an image of an icon painted by Andrei Rublev, one of the most revered iconographers. The experience sent shivers down my spine, igniting a revelation within me. Though I was familiar with icons, that moment marked a turning point, compelling me to explore and study this sacred art.

I soon enrolled in a traditional Byzantine icon painting class led by a master iconographer. After three years of dedicated study not only of icon painting traditions but also sacred and religious texts, I continued to refine my skills independently, exploring ancient techniques and teaching others the art of using egg tempera — the traditional medium for icons.

Philosophy and Process:

Icons are viewed as windows into heaven, portals that invite us to experience the divine presence that surrounds us. These sacred images are not mere idols; they are reminders of the invisible, intangible world that coexists with our physical realm. 

My process of creating an icon starts well before the brush meets the board. Each commission begins with extensive research into historical variations of the icon, drawing inspiration from ancient to modern interpretations, each crafted as a prayer by earlier iconographers.

This preparatory phase is as much about connecting with the spiritual lineage of the icon as it is about understanding the spiritual needs of those who will interact with my work. By the time I begin to paint, I am deeply immersed in a meditative state, often accompanied by Gregorian chants or silence, allowing me to channel pure energy and devotion into every stroke.

Teaching icon and egg tempera painting - my experience:

Teaching icon painting has not only enriched my practice but also deepened my spiritual life, enhancing my skills and allowing me to share this transformative art form with others. It’s a privilege to guide my students on their own journeys of discovery and connection through iconography.

Client Experience:

When someone commissions an icon from me, they receive more than a piece of art. They receive a part of my soul, my skills, and my spiritual energy. I engage deeply with each project, ensuring that every icon is a personalized, meditative creation designed to bring them closer to the divine. My icons are crafted to serve as a continual reminder of the spiritual realm, offering protection and divine presence.

Personal Reflection:

One of my most memorable experiences was when a colleague attended my icon exhibition. Although she was familiar with my work, seeing the icons in person moved her to tears. Her emotional response reaffirmed my commitment to this sacred art form. My aspirations as an icon painter are to convey the beauty of the intangible, the divine, and the profound love and compassion inherent in direct communion with what we might call the Divine or pure Consciousness.

As I continue to paint and teach, I am reminded daily of the transformative power of icons—not just as art, but as touchstones of deep spiritual connection.

I hold a BA in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University and a diploma in Architecture. My works are in collections across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Germany, Great Britain, Australia and Thailand.

I am based in Vancouver, Canada, and welcome commissions from around the world. Some of my icon- and egg-tempera-painting classes are available online. My artistic mission? "If my art inspires even one person toward higher spiritual goals, I consider my career a success."

About Egg Tempera painting 

Known from antiquity, tempera was the primary painting medium of the Middle Ages. It was the medium for religious and inspired art in the Byzantine world as well as Europe until it was replaced by oil paint in Italy in the 16th century.

Slow drying oil paints blend more read­ily than fast drying, linear tempera. This makes it easier to paint smooth transitions and three-dimensional forms in oil. In other words, oil is better suited to creating natural light effects, atmosphere and more realistic imagery in general. Greater realism suited the less spiritually oriented, more scientific and humanistic culture of the Renaissance.

Yet, egg tempera remained the required medium for Orthodox icons in Greece and Russia.

Egg tempera paint is made of pure pigments (dry coloring powders) mixed in egg emul­sion (egg yolk and water mixed in the 1:1 ratio, with a few drops of vinegar to preserve the mixture). Egg emulsion dries quickly and adheres firmly. Egg tempera paintings are long-lasting; icons painted in the 12th to 14th centuries survive to this day.

Egg tempera is painted on wooden panels prepared with a gesso base that promotes adhesion and creates a smooth luminous surface. Mostly, egg tempera is applied in small brush strokes on top of another thoroughly dried coat of paint. Thus, the two layers of paint are mixed optically but not physically. This creates a unique transparency that is not possible by mixing paints directly. This glazing produces clear, pure colours - egg tempera's greatest advantage over oil painting.

The finished product can appear matte like pastel, but brightens dramatically under oil-based varnish.

About byzantine icons and icon painters

Icon (from the Greek Εικων - image) is a Christian religious image of a saint or an event from sacred texts, designed for indi­vidual or church prayer and liturgical use. Typically, icons are painted in traditional egg tempera (a mixture of dry pigments and egg emulsion) on a wooden base.

Unlike pre-Christian (Pagan) idols, icons must not be regarded as images of the Deity, but as symbols that allow spiritual communion with the archetype. When people show respect for icons, they are expressing feelings for the saints and events depicted and not for the icons themselves.

This also affects the relationship or status of the icon painter/artist. Unlike artists today, the icon painter is more like the often anonymous scribe of antiquity, whose role was to copy holy texts. Of course, the level of technical skill of the icon artist is a factor. In addition, it was believed that the level of connection of the icon painter also made a difference and could be appreciated by the trained viewer.

About the icon painting process

An icon starts with an inspiration and a concrete idea. In the past, iconographers used icon-paintings manuals – a compilation of approved icon patterns (line drawings of saints or compositions). However today, many icons can be found in books or even more online, including icon patterns. A chosen icon is printed, carefully positioned on an icon board and transferred to the board (usually with a pencil and tracing paper).

Liquid glue (gilding size) is applied to any areas to be covered with gold leaf (typically, halos and the background) and optionally to the edges of the board. Gold in iconography represents divine light, thus, we apply gold before starting painting.

Historically, an iconographer had to find and grind his own pigments, so mixing colours was a long process. Although pigments (dry coloured powders) can be purchased in some art supply stores, mixing pigments with egg emulsion requires time and effort. Moreover, once they are mixed in egg emulsion (a mix­ture of egg yolk and water), the paint must be used quickly, as it cannot be stored.

Egg tempera paint is similar to watercolor and is suitable for both opaque and transparent effects. It dries quickly on the absorbent gesso.

Traditional icons are painted from dark to light. The first layer is liquid and semi-transparent. The paint (various appropri­ate colours) is applied to the landscape, architecture, garments, skin, etc. When all the areas are painted in this way, the icon is considered “opened.” This first stage is only the beginning. The rest of the icon, all the highlights and details, will be painted with more opaque paint and will take consider­ably more time.

The icon is a stylized form of religious art that avoids realistic depiction. Thus, shapes are revealed by applying mid tones to the base coat and then fine highlights in a spe­cific manner, prescribed by religious canons.

Sometimes egg tempera is applied in thin and nearly transparent glazes, laid on top of each other until the desired color, saturation and shadows are achieved. This is necessary because egg tempera dries quickly and cannot be blended once applied. This technique was adapted for iconography later, in the 19th century.

The icon is completed with the name of the saint or of the feast depicted. The icon painter is not supposed to sign the icon. This western practice of signing artwork is practically unknown in traditional iconography.