Insights into the making of an iconographer
Lifelong questions answered

A phenomenon observed in the Six Days of Creation workshops is that few “cradle Orthodox” in America study iconography. Jennie Gelles belongs to this rare subset.

“We didn’t foresee that it would be mainly Roman Catholics and Episcopalians, with an admixture of Protestants, who would pursue the ancient craft,” said Mary Lowell, workshop coordinator. “Jennie has been our special student.”

Not that this “special” category means special treatment. “There is a great hunger among western Christians to find their way back to the roots of Church art,” Xenia Pokrovsky contends. “I am happy for this longing and I welcome the opportunity to help them uncover our common heritage as church artists and believers.”

But Jennie [is] special! Her quiet warmth and ready smile endears her to all. A second generation American, she was born in Johnstown, Penn. to Alexander and Mary Jane Atty. Jennie’s grandparents, on both sides, were Lebanese immigrants who came to America in the early 20th century. In the churches of her childhood, Jennie was surrounded by the mysterious beauty of icons. In her early high school years, art became Jennie’s passion and the focus of her life. After earning a degree in arts education from Penn State University in 1975, Jennie became a professional artist and she makes her living from a variety of commissions.

In the last several years, Jennie has become focused on iconography. Ironically, she has had some of the same obstacles to overcome as those less familiar with icons. “Even though I was brought up an Orthodox Christian, the icons had many qualities I didn't understand – qualities that countered the laws of perspective and naturalism I had learned in art classes. It was a mystery that fascinated and yet disturbed me.”

Her recent work in iconography builds upon an introduction to icon painting she received while living in Brooklyn. Jennie took her first icon painting class in 1982 at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York with Helena Nikkanen from Finland. Nikkanen had studied under Leonid Ouspensky, the famous Russian iconographer and theologian who lived in exile in Paris most of his adult life. “I learned a lot during that semester, but I found the egg tempera medium intimidating. I later wrote several icons, using acrylics, as gifts for our mission parish in New Jersey, but I went on to develop my art career in other subjects and all kinds of mediums.”

Even so, Jennie kept her hand in iconography. In 2002 she assisted iconographer Vladimir Krassovsky with installing a large-scale project in the apse (and in 2003, the dome) of St. George Chapel, situated on the grounds of St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church in Louisville, Ky. where Jennie’s brother, Fr. Alexander Atty, is the pastor. Inspired by the experience, Jennie took her first workshop with Xenia Pokrovsky in the summer of 2003 in Lexington, Ky.

The workshop was a turning point for Jennie, “All the questions I had about icons were answered. Xenia and Marek were very generous with sharing information and made everything so clear during demonstrations and individualized instruction. We even received Marek’s well-written manual of Xenia’s teaching to guide us when working at home. Every step of the way is explained so clearly.”

Jennie completed her fourth workshop in November 2005 in Maggie Valley, N.C. With each session she has extended her knowledge of the icon and become more determined to devote herself to the sacred tradition of icon writing under the guidance of a master iconographer and teacher. “Xenia’s work is awe-inspiring and the more I see it, the more I realize how far I have to go. I hope to continue studying with her for many years.”

Jennie’s humility is itself awe-inspiring and her approach to icon writing is also insightful. It does not presume that a formal education in fine arts, her profession as an artist or even a life-long intimacy with icons and four workshops makes an iconographer.

The making of an iconographer is something “special,” something more than talent and training. Jennie has embraced all that being an iconographer requires, but she has the purity of heart to “realize how far” she has to go. And Jennie is willing to cross that distance before she hangs her marquee.

July 23-29, the Six Days of Creation comes to Jennie’s home at St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church in Louisville, Ky. Our staff and teachers are looking forward to seeing her progress since the last workshop and all the work she has done to beautify her church.