Dear Fellow Iconographers and Friends: 
This is a time of year for all of us to truly participate in Christ’s Presence amongst us. I am starting a new icon of the face of Christ (from a Byzantine model) to carry me through the Christmas season with prayer and thanksgiving to our savior.
The other icon I’ve started recently is that a of Saint Benedict, from a Fra Angelico model. 
In the weekly icon class I teach in Albany, New York we have been reading Esther DeWaal’s book “Seeking God” as a way of incorporating a Spiritual rule within our fellowship and practice. “..writing his rule with a community of laymen in mind, his very clear grasp of the principles underlying the commitment underlying the vows remains applicable and valuable to all who are trying to follow Christ.” We are studying this book and its possible applications to iconography.
Here is my Saint Benedict – about 3/4 finished. The best part is the finishing!
My website about teaching Iconography has just been updated with a new materials page for those who want to take class and are curious about what materials are needed. There are useful links for purchasing materials on the site.
Recently one of my spiritual mentors, Randy Clark blessed two of my icons at a conference in PA. Here is the video that my husband, Mick, took of the moment. Randy Clark is a non denominational Pastor and teacher with a world wide ministry of healing. He was praying that God’s healing grace would bless people through the icons. One of my icons is on the cover of his wonderful teaching on Communion.
One of my early teachers-Vladislav Andreyev has created a lovely instructional video on how to write an icon which I highly recommend. Here is a link to a promotional video which shows some of the steps of icon writing and describes his dvd.
That’s all for this month. Have a wonderful, Christ filled Christmas! As always I look forward to your comments and iconography events. If you email me with icon information I will try to post it in the next blog.
Blessings,
Christine Simoneau Hales
American Association of Iconographers 