WHY I PAINT ICONS:
I'm a professional artist with strong academic skills. I enjoy painting oil portraits, watercolor landscapes, and drawing figures with chalk and pencil.
However, my true passion lies in creating icons. I find the world of iconography to be incredibly profound, offering opportunities for spiritual growth and wisdom.
I follow traditional icon techniques to create vibrant and meaningful icons that come to life with depth and beauty.
I use natural materials
![IMG_2278](http://nikamcleod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IMG_2278-1.jpg)
Long story short
It seems like I was preparing to be an iconographer my whole life.
THE ROAD TO icons
7 facts about my art expertise
- Started art school at age 8.
- Continued art education throughout my life.
- Over 25 years of experience with various art materials and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Russia.
- Art teacher since 2009, specializing in perspective, painting, and drawing for teenagers and adults.
- Worked on kids animated movies, including "the Prophet," "Angry Birds," "Croods"," Ella the Elephant," and more.
- Blessed to paint icons at the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco.
- Became an iconographer due to a desire for meaningful work and to create beautiful images for my children.
Repentance
7 facts about my spiritual life
- I was baptized as an Orthodox Christian in infancy.
- A monk once blessed me to become an artist while I was painting near an old church as a teenager.
- I developed a deep love for the Liturgy in an English-speaking parish in Vancouver.
- When I'm feeling down, I find solace in praying to Saint Seraphim of Sarov.
- I once had an overwhelming experience during the Nativity service and nearly fainted in Saint Paul and Peter Cathedral in Minsk, Belarus.
- Since then, I have maintained a proper fasting routine, except during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- The Diveyevo Monastery holds a special place in my heart as my favorite spiritual experience.
forever together
7 facts about my family
- I am mother with two children and more to come (God willing).
- My husband was in a rock and roll band before we met.
- We met in an Orthodox Church.
- In 2016, we worked in the Valaam Monastery near Saint Petersburg and hitchhiked from Crimea to Moscow together.
- Our kids are wonderful explorers and little living icons. ♥︎
- Both pregnancies were followed by postpartum depression, which took me almost a year to overcome.
- Our family is interested in nourishing and healing foods, natural medicine, and outdoor activities.