Creation and Faith in The Romanian School
May – October 2012, The “St. Nectarie” Parish, Eindhoven

“In the beginning there was The Word“, and has been further transmitted along thousands of years by word of mouth and iconographic images. Perhaps this is why approaching the old Romanian technique of painting icons on glass was a natural choice for the first theme of the Romanian School’s catechesis in Eindhoven.

Thus children have the opportunity of joining educative plastic art experiments on religious themes, being encouraged to speak Romanian throughout the 2-hour sessions.

Subject: The Icon of St. Elijah, acrylic painting on glass.

the back side of a painted icon

My objectives were:

• stimulating the interest in religious themes from the Romanian iconographic art point of view through plastic art creation accompanied by the subject related in an accessible way for children;
• getting to know the materials involved in painting icons on glass and using them both carefully and freely;
• the balance between careful working and playful colour experiments;
• helping each other, team working, stimulating emphatic interactions in the group of children and also the work independence and self confidence of each and every child.

Both religious teachings’ wisdom and painting itsself can be a therapy for everybody’s heart and soul, not only for children. But especially for them it can be an important step in their education and development as sensitive, yet balanced future adults.

I try to use every opportunity to boost their imagination with amazing results. For instance, one of the children cleaned his gold paint brush into a glas of dark violet water and what he obtained was “the image of the Universe”, as he said.

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