Without a doubt, my favourite woodworking magazine is Mortise & Tenon. It is a publication that always has exceptional and profound articles, along with photos that are beautiful and inspiring. Last year the editors and I spoke about the possibility of writing for them on the topic of making an icon panel, and I’m delighted to share that that piece has just been published in Issue Nine of Mortise & Tenon.
It was a rare joy for me to share something of the foundational work that quietly happens here in the studio’s woodworking workshop. The people who commission icons from the studio focus on the painted saint or the feast depicted—and that is how it should be—but long before a brush begins to paint with colour, work that is significant and beautiful has already happened. Drawing inspiration from a recent icon of Noah the Righteous, the article aims to explore a little of the history, theology, and woodworking techniques used in making a traditional icon panel.
If you’d like to read more, or have interest in woodworking, please check out Mortise & Tenon’s website and order a copy for yourself: www.mortiseandtenonmag.com/collections/magazine/products/issue-nine