The Territory of Creativity
This article was originally published in the magazine “Slovo i Kamen” (“Word and Stone”). Icon Painter and Artist From book to book, from trip to trip, from one person to the next, encounters keep happening – and each time something important comes into view. For me, one of the most meaningful was meeting Todor Mitrovic.…
Continue reading »A Vision for Orthodoxy in Puerto Rico
In 2023, I was asked to consult on the design for the first Russian-Orthodox church in Puerto Rico. In the three years since, this has turned into one of the most interesting projects of my career. I believe it may also prove to be one of the most important. It will set the style for…
Continue reading »Every Style of Georgian Chant Explained with Dr. John Graham
Why does the same ancient chant melody sound completely different depending on which corner of Georgia you’re standing in? Musicologist John A. Graham returns for Part 2 of our exploration of Georgian Orthodox chant, this time going deep into the three great transcribed monastery schools: Gelati, Shemokmedi, and Svetitskhoveli. At the heart of Graham’s research…
Continue reading »Light from the East: Masterpieces from the Ikonen-Museum Recklinghausen
Icon Museum and Study Center, Clinton, MA October 16, 2026- March 21, 2027 Opening to the public, October 16, 2026, the Icon Museum and Study Center in Clinton, Massachusetts presents rare icons from Novgorod, Moscow, Crete, and Constantinople. For the first time in the United States, highlights from one of Western Europe’s largest museum collections…
Continue reading »Reflections of a Coptic Iconographer
“I rush towards my dry brushes, and like Christ, am nailed to my easel.” Marc Chagall, 1938 As I begin writing this article, an organ player downstairs strikes a melody on the church organ. My studio is situated in the mezzanine of the church, built by Canadian Anglicans in the late 1800’s and presently owned…
Continue reading »Review of “The Wedding Party: An Epic Poem” by Philip Rosenbaum
The Wedding Party: An Epic Poem comes as a breath of fresh air, and a testament that the riches of the Christian tradition are not disappearing. It is like discovering that there are women who still make lace by hand, or men who still sing shanties, or people who still converse in Latin and Greek.…
Continue reading »Lord, it is Good to be Here: Building Orthodox Culture in America
A video of my keynote address, given at the Paideia Conference in June 2025, is now available. My talk is titled “Lord, it is Good to be Here: Building Orthodox Culture in America”. In it, I discuss the full history of Orthodox church building in America: the beautiful and well-acculturated churches of the early 20th-century:…
Continue reading »New Liturgical Handbook Illuminates the Heart of Orthodox Worship
A groundbreaking new resource for Eastern Orthodox Christians has been published, offering clergy, laity, and inquirers an in-depth yet accessible guide to the Orthodox Church’s divine services. Titled The Divine Services of the Orthodox Church with Commentary, this comprehensive handbook combines original translations of liturgical texts with rich theological explanations, patristic insights, and practical pastoral…
Continue reading »Image and Awe
It is and it is not. An image is like its subject but also unlike it. Through its likeness, a sacred image helps us to establish relationship with its subject, while through its unlikeness it suggests the subject’s otherness. This journal of liturgical art, as with my own work as a liturgical artist, is concerned…
Continue reading »The King’s Iconographer on Hierarchy, Beauty, and the Crisis of Modern Art
I had the privilege of interviewing world-renowned iconographer Aidan Hart. We discussed his time as a hermit, his career as an iconographer, his relationship with King Charles, and his artistic influences. I was particularly enlightened hearing about his time as a hermit, which lasted over a decade. He ultimately ascertained that the capacity for silence,…
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