Icon Painters
We work in the traditional Byzantine icon style and
we paint icons using traditional Byzantine techniques
painting in egg tempera and using 24 carat gold leaf.
And we strictly follow the traditional rules because
every formal aspect of
an icon has a spiritual
significance.
Our iconographers are:
~ matushka Marchela Dimitrova
~ father Nedyalko Dimitrov
~ hajjah Yovka Yurukova
Marchela Dimitrova is Bulgarian, married to a Bulgarian Orthodox Priest. An artist from an early age, her interest in icons began in 1996. She studied for two years with a master and was then awarded the title of master-iconographer. She works in the traditional Byzantine style and her work appears in a great number of churches and monasteries - mainly orthodox but including Portestant and Catholic - around the world. She uses traditional Byzantine techniques painting in egg tempera and using 24 carat gold leaf. The roots of the icon do not lie in art, they lie in the spiritual realities at the heart of the Christian faith. Because every formal aspect of an icon has a spiritual significance the traditional
rules must be stricly followed. Iconography is now rightly acclaimed as one of the significant art forms of the European spirit and, perhaps, the sole, pictorial form of sacred art in the Christian tradition.
matushka
Marchela
Dimitrova
hajjah
Yovka
Yurukova
father
Nedyalko
Dimitrov
Father Nedyalko was born and grown up in a religious family. His interest in religion and fine arts began in his early age. In 1988 [both with his wife matushka Marchela] he has set up Gallery [of fine arts] Heros in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In early 90's his interest in religion was deepen and he has graduated Theology in Sofia University. In 1993 he was ordained as Eastern Orthodox Priest. He is interested in Byzantine art and iconography and has joined several projects of painting
[and restorating] of Eastern Orthodox churches. In 2008 he came across of the lifes of some of the Early British saints and together with m. Marchela started long term project of painting icons of them. In 2009 both with his wife m.Marchela [during the period she was artist in residence in White House Farm, Great Glemham, Saxmundham in Sufolk, the UK] he started teaching Byzantine iconography to students from the UK.
Yovka Yurukova has grown up in traditional Eastern Orthodox family. She has graduated Conservation and Restoration in the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria and has worked a lots of years as restorer of Icon Gallery of Plovdiv eparchy of Bulgarian Orthodox Church. She has took part in number of project of conservation and restoration of early Christian and medieval churches in Bulgaria and is well known as icon painter and church wall painter. Yovka works in traditional Byzantine style and her brilliant work appear in a great number of churches and monasteries in Bulgaria, Italy, Argentine and the USA. She has been teaching Byzantine Iconography and Church wall painting in the High School of Fine Arts in Plovdiv and a lots of students were inspired by her. In the last few years she has been working on a couple of wall painting projects in Italy.