hand-painted icons and altarpieces
Helen McIldowie-Jenkins
Belozerskaya
'Beneath your tenderness of heart do we take refuge, O Mother of God.'
Akathistos Hymn
For Sale. Copy of the 'Theotokos of Byelo-Zersk', a 13th c. Russian icon in the Novgorodian style. A 'Virgin of Tenderness' or Umilenie variant. Rebated wooden panel (Kovcheg) with silver leaf background.
Donskaya
'How great is Thy compassion!'
Akathistos Hymn
Private Commission. Copy of the 'Theotokos of the Don', a 14th c. Russian wonderworking icon attributed to Theophanes the Greek and venerated as saving the Russian people from Tartar invasion in 1380 and 1591. A 'Virgin of Tenderness' or Umilenie variant. 24 ct burnished water gilding.
Hodegetria
'The hosts of angels and mortal men praise thee, O virgin Mother, without ceasing ...'
Akathistos Hymn
Private Commission. Copy of a Hodegetria with Saint Peter and Saint John the Baptist, a 15th c. Russian icon copied by the workshop of Dionysii - after an original from Constantinople. 24 ct un-burnished water gilding.
Kardiotissa
'...For thou hast carried their Creator as a babe in thine arms.'
Akathistos Hymn
For Sale. Copy of 17th c. Greek icon 'Mother of God Kardiotissa' (i.e., of the heart) - a variant of the 'Sweet Kissing' or Glykophilousa type, where the Christ Child playfully and lovingly embraces His Mother. Popular Cretan icon. 24 ct burnished water gilding.
Kazanskaya
'Blessed are we, who have you as our defence, for you intercede night and day for us...'
Anon. 6th c Hymn
Private Commission. Copy of 'Theotokos of Kazan'; a famous 16th c. Russian icon that accompanied Russian soldiers into battle. A Hodegetria variant with half-length standing Christ Child. Mordant-gilded halo.
Korsunskaya
'Hail, loving-kindness of God unto mortal man.'
Akathistos Hymn
Private Commission. Copy of 'Theotokos of Korsun'; A Russian half-length Umilenie variant with origins ca 10th - 12th c. Possibly taken to Kiev by Prince Vladimir the Great from the Black Sea region. 24 ct burnished water-gilt halo.
Korsunskaya - alternative
For Sale. Painted as an illustration for the forthcoming book by Judith Dupré - the well-known American writer on art, architecture, religion and photography. The book entitled At Home with the Mother of God will be published in 2010 by Random House. Currently, Judith is at Yale University investigating the impact of time, memory, and ritual on architectural meaning.
Tichvinskaya
Hail, bridge leading men from earth to heaven.'
Akathistos Hymn
Private Commission. Copy of 'Theotokos of Tikhvin'; a Russian Hodegetria variant, based on an ancient icon kept at Constantinople reputed to have been painted by Saint Luke. The icon appeared miraculously by the Tikhvinka River in the 14th c. and having survived several fires is venerated for its protective powers. 24 ct burnished water-gilt halo.
Vladimirskaya
'Hail mercy seat of the world. Hail, intercessor with the Righteous Judge.'
Akathistos
Private Commission. Copy of 'Theotokos of Vladimir'; A 12th c. icon, taken from Constantinople to Kiev and then to Vladimir in 1155. Probably the most famous icon of the Theotokos and attributed to Saint Luke. A 'Merciful Mother of God'or Eleusa variant, with the Christ Child on the Virgin's right arm (dexiocratousa).
Our Lady of Perpetual Succour
'He who sits in glory ... came in a veil of cloud, into the arms of the Immaculate, and brought salvation to those who cried out...'
Akathistos
Commission for the Redemptorist Mission Church at Tafara, Harare, Zimbabwe. A copy of the famous 15th c. Cretan icon, 'Mother of God of the Passion' (Amolyntos) in the possession of the Redemptorist Order. A Hodigetria-Eleusa variant, comparable with the Russian Theotokos Strastnaya icon.
Our Lady of Walsingham
'Mother most happy, Virgin most pure, now we, impure as we are, come to see thee who art all pure; we salute thee...'
The Guild Prayer, Attr. Erasmus
Commission for Saint Edmund's Episcopal Church, Wisconsin, USA. Original composition based on the 'Virgin Enthroned' Shrine statue and with border scenes depicting the Legend of Walsingham. Designed to pair with the image of Saint Edmund (see Saints and Angels section) as 'East Anglian' icons.
Virgin and St. Nicholas with Welsh Saints
Commission for Chapel of the Cathedral School, Llandaff, Cardiff.
This image is partly based on a traditional Russian icon of the Mother of God and St. Nicholas. The iconographic form of the Mother of God being a 'Hodegetria' type - or 'She who shows the Way' (i.e.,to her Son.)
To reference the School’s location and close relationship with the ancient Cathedral of Llandaff, Helen has composed images of three local saints (Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy) along with that of St. David (Dewi) around the borders of the kovtcheg icon panel. To engage the younger pupils of the school with this icon, a tiny motif of a raven with a white cap and a wooden leg has been included in the tree above St.Dyfrig, drawn from a Welsh nursery rhyme, this raven allegedly pre-dates the dragon as a Welsh symbol.
Seasoned oak panel, braced and rebated, linen- lined and gessoed with triple weight 24ct gold leaf and egg tempera.
Virgin of the Sign
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel"
Is 7:13-14
Private commission. Based on the 12th c. Russian icon of the Virgin Orans (or Virgin in prayer). As a fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy (above) the Virgin stands in the ancient gesture of prayer whilst the mandorla superimposed upon her breast symbolises the Christ child she will conceive and bear.
Tempera and gold leaf on panel