iconspirit: the website of Karen Blampied, iconographer

The Progress of the Twelve Parish Saints Icons

Karen Blampied B.Ed M.A. - Iconographer

Karen Blampied has created an icon for each of the twelve Parish Churches of Jersey.  This page showcases the progress of the project.

To find out more about the Parish Saints and the history behind them please Click here  

Click these links to find out about

St Brelade

St. Clement

Grouville

St. Helier  

St John  

St Lawrence 

St Martin

St Mary 

St. Ouen  

St Peter

St. Saviour

Trinity

Parish Saints Icons in Preparation

Exhibition at All Saints Church December 2010

Saint Brelade
St. Clement St. Clement de Pierville This was the last of the Parish saint icons Twelve churches  - twelve icons and one amazing pilgrimage
Grouville Saint Martin de Tours The young Saint Martin de Tours on his horse
Saint Helier
The base colours
St. John Saint John of the Oaks
St. Lawrence
Saint Martin Saint Martin Le Vieux
St. Mary
Saint Mary of the Burnt Monastery
St. Ouen Saint Ouen de Rouen
St. Peter Saint Peter in the Dessert
Saint Saviour Saint Saviour de Jersey
Trinity The final stages.  I had my test piece icon of the Holy Trinity on exhibition at the Artists Directory Exhibition. Date: Friday, June 4, 2010 Location: Windward House                                 Here  is the final stage - painting the icon of the Holy Trinity. The base colours first - I finished the painting at Trinity Church Egg tempera is the binding medium used for the pigments. The yolk of an egg, which has the potential for life, is mixed with water and vinegar a reminder of the crucifixion. This egg and pigment mixture petrifies and becomes everlasting. The pigments have a death to life quality and are wherever possible, naturally occurring, either washed or baked clays, powdered stone and decayed metals.

The final exhibition of all the icons at All Saints Church highlighted the value of the journey where people had an opportunity to visit all the Twelve Parish Saints together. 

Please scroll down the page to see how the project developed from a start in Lent 2010 to completion in December 2010   

Exhibition at All Saints Church December 2010

A big thank you must go to the Anglican community for welcoming me into their churches and to the parishioners of All Saints Church for hosting the exhibition.

Praise the Lord.    I have now completed the Pilgrimage visiting the Twelve ancient Parish Churches writing an icon of each of the Parish Saints. 

Parish Saints Icons in Preparation

Gilding the Icons

Placing the gold leaf onto each of the icons. The gold represents the presence of God. 

Like God it does not tarnish, does not decay, and cannot be destroyed.

Claybase for Guilding the Icons

Two main layers of clay onto the white stone surface.

First the yellow ochre clay and then the red ochre clay both earthy colours.

They form the earthly base for the gold leaf which symbolises the Glory of God.

Carving the word of God in Stone

Baptising the icon

This is the next stage of the icon making process, and my lenten journey.

The cleansing waters of Baptism smooth the surface of the board. to make it ready to carve the word of God

The Stone

The third Sunday of Lent and I am halfway through the gesso on the icon boards for the 12 parish saints project. The rabbit skin glue is mixed with chalk to make the gesso this is then placed onto of the shroud (material) the gesso will dry and form a stone surface on the icon board. This symbolically represents the stone that was rolled in  front of Christ's tomb.

The Shroud  - The 12 parish saints icon boards are covered with material

The wood is then covered with strips of cloth - This symbolises the shroud in which the body of the Lord was wrapped. The cloth is steeped in size and laid down in strips. The size is made from rabbit skin glue and water, the death of the animal is a necessary sacrifice for the icon to be given life. Water is seen in terms of the cleansing qualities of baptism.

"What an incredible group of gentlemen who worked so hard to produce the icon boards for the 12 parish saints

project". - Karen Blampied

This is how the boards turned out.

Initial Story Board of Twelve Parish Saints

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