The Lover's Pursuit
This encaustic icon is my favorite. There is nothing I've found that really tops this one for me. It is the ideal image that I try my best to hold suspended in my heart when I work.
Sadly, I don't know anything about the iconographer and there seems to be little information at all available. You can see in the hot wax encaustic of St Stephen below that I attempted to render the features of the portrait in a similar manner.
I don't think I succeeded in attaining the same quality as Eitener’s icon. Though I am pleased with this work and felt the presence of St Stephen while working, it's just not my ideal. This is probably typical artist talk. We usually have a hard time being satisfied with our own work and are always trying to do better next time.
Perhaps it's a bit like the experience St Sophrony and Elder Thaddeus have described concerning God’s way of relating to us. There will be moments when God is so close that there is nothing but love and light within. But God withdraws in other seasons. The withdrawal becomes the lovers pursuit. The Bride chasing the Groom. The Groom wooing the Bride.
I would love to know if you have a favorite icon. Drop a comment or restack this post and let me know!