The panel
It all begins with a well-seasoned board of lime or poplar. I brace it against warping and sometimes clothe it in linen, which holds the ground better.
Iconographer · visual artist · Brașov
Orthodox iconography on wood, oil painting, pastel and mixed media. Exhibition pieces and bespoke commissions, made in my Brașov studio.
Gallery
A selection of icons, paintings and studies. Filter by medium to see more.
About me
I paint where the tradition of the Orthodox icon meets the freedom of contemporary painting.
I am a visual artist in Brașov. A good part of my work is iconography on wood — egg tempera and gold leaf, after the Byzantine canon — and the rest is oil painting, pastel and drawing, exhibition pieces and personal studies.
Every piece starts from carefully chosen materials and reaches completion through patient layers of colour. I take commissions gladly: from small feast-day icons and portraits to larger pieces for personal or liturgical spaces.
Process
An icon isn't painted, it's written — through a sequence of patient steps, each with its purpose, inherited from a centuries-old tradition. Here is how a piece comes to life in the studio, from bare wood to the final layer of olifa.
It all begins with a well-seasoned board of lime or poplar. I brace it against warping and sometimes clothe it in linen, which holds the ground better.
I lay coat after coat of levkas — fine chalk bound with natural glue — then sand it until it is smooth and ivory-white. The icon will live on this surface.
I transfer the drawing from a traditional model and lightly incise the outline into the ground, so the line survives beneath the colour.
I apply bole and then gold leaf to the halo and background. Burnished with an agate stone, it catches the light and makes it tremble.
Pigments are bound with egg-yolk emulsion. I work from dark tones toward the highlights, in transparent layers — as light gradually rises from darkness.
Finally, a film of olifa protects the icon and deepens the colours, uniting them under a warm glow. From here, the icon begins to live.
Commissions
A commission is a collaboration. The steps below keep things clear, from the first conversation to delivery.
You tell me what you have in mind — subject, size, medium, timeline. We set the direction together.
You receive a sketch or proposal and a clear quote, with price and timeline.
With a deposit, I begin the work. Along the way I send you photos of its progress.
The finished piece, signed and with a certificate of authenticity, collected from the studio or shipped.
Egg tempera and gold leaf, after the canon. Price varies with size and complexity.
Pencil, pastel or oil, from a photograph or from life.
Landscape, still life or a theme of your choice, on canvas.
Studies and finished works on quality paper or board.
* Indicative prices — replace them with your own. The final quote is set after we talk.
Contact
For questions, collaboration ideas or just a kind word, write to me directly. I usually reply the same day.
Would you like a commissioned piece? Fill in the commission form →