Commission Request

Step One: Subject (Saint or Feast)

Probably the most important aspect to consider when applying to commission an icon from the studio is which particular saint or feast you’d like to request.

Icons of individual saints are wonderful because they bring the presence of a holy person into our lives and can give us a genuine experience of communion with them. Icons of the feasts (often called festival icons) or events found in the scriptures are likewise beautiful, but are often more focused on a theology that offers us an experience of understanding through an eternal moment we ponder.

The number of possible subjects found in the Old and New Testaments of the Scriptures—as well as those recognized within the traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox church—is almost without number. It’s important to consider which of these saints or events is especially meaningful to you and why having such a visual presence is important to you and your community. If you’re comfortable doing so, include such information in your application.

Please be aware that when considering whether to accept a commission, I also prioritize those that I believe will be a blessing to the broader world. This consideration ties to the studio’s mission to evangelize by providing high-quality printed icons to as broad a community as possible and is something that I hope you’ll also value in applying to have an icon commissioned.

Step Two: Placement (Home or Church)

Where do you envision installing the icon you’re requesting? This is another important thing to consider when applying and can help clarify details about the icon’s composition’s final size and format.

People usually place icons in homes or churches. Icons intended for a home can take the form of anything from a quiet presence beside a child’s bed to being the centre of a family’s prayer corner or home altar.

Icons being commissioned for churches can also take many forms. One can install these public icons in a church’s iconostasis, on its walls, in side chapels, or even in public areas such as a parish hall.

Step Three: Size

With an idea of your icon’s subject and placement decided, you should now give some thought as to what size would be appropriate for the icon you’d like to request.

When commissioning an icon for a home, many people prefer smaller icons ranging from 12 x 15 inches to 16 x 20 inches. These are large enough to give the presence of the saint or event in the home, but not so large that they dominate the space uncomfortably.

Churches, of course, offer very different possibilities when thinking about size. If standing alone, they often range from 16 x 20 inches to 24 x 30 inches. Sometimes, the icon being requested might need to fit within the existing architecture or pair well with other artwork or icons in the sanctuary. Distance can also be a factor. For icons destined for domes or high ceilings, it’s important that we create them at an appropriate scale, ensuring clear visibility.

As a rule, I don’t accept commissions for miniature work. Regardless of the intended space, when icons become tiny, they become difficult to compose and render. The size at which an icon becomes too small depends on its complexity. If you have an icon such as the Nativity in mind, it’s good to think about the adequate size to create such a complicated icon.

Step Four: Format

When applying to commission an icon, the studio offers two different formats to choose from depending on your needs and budget: an egg tempera icon or a digital composition of an icon.

Even when an egg tempera icon is being requested, the first step in creating it is a composition. This is part of what makes commissioning an icon from the studio so unique and exciting an opportunity. We are not talking about creating something mass-produced and distributed in bookstores, nor a souvenir from a vacation to St. Petersburg, but an icon carefully composed and crafted in the studio. And, unlike many iconographers who practice their craft of iconography by carefully painting copies of existing works, my vocation is to labour in the living tradition of this sacred art-form, which composes original icons rooted and bound by iconographic tradition but expressing a unique contemporary style inspired by the time and place in which we live.

Icons painted in an egg tempera medium are the heart of the studio. I create each icon using time-honoured techniques and valuable materials. The studio harvests and prepares wood from a specific tree for each panel, and each colour from a stone, clump of earth, or plant I collect while exploring the landscape. Each of these icons is also gilded with pure gold leaf, creating unparalleled beauty and gravitas in the heavenly light it reflects. Created as they are, these icons represent the most perfect resonance with the world I can imagine. If properly cared for, they will last millennia, but if laid upon the land, they will entirely return to the earth without a trace in a matter of years.

After preparing to create a particular icon by prayer, visual and historic research, and drawing close to the saint or event by reading appropriate texts, my current practice is to design its unique compositions with a pencil sketch before rendering it with a digital paintbrush. This is something that I began doing as a preparatory step for painting—but over the years the results have gotten good enough that I think they have become an art form of their own! For commissions using this composition as an end unto itself, I create a final print using the highest quality printing methods available.

I only accept commissions that envision such a printed composition as its end goal when I feel that it’s appropriate to do so. My preference is always towards accepting those commissions which aim to see a composition completed in an egg tempera as the most beautiful and complete expression of iconography.

I am always happy to receive a request for a painted egg tempera icon intended for a home as these are often especially cherished. My prices for commissioning such work start at $4,100 + tax for a 12 x 15 inch icon. Commissions for larger egg tempera icons destined for churches or institutions are also appreciated because of the way that they will fulfill their liturgical function within a community. These typically start at $16,000 + tax. The cost of such icons considers the time their creation will take due to their size and complexity, as well as the cost of their materials (such as the amount of gold leaf.) While I will arrange for the icon to be safely packed or crated for shipping, the cost of shipping itself is the responsibility of the patron.

Digital compositions intended for churches or institutions begin at $5,300 + tax and have a minimum size requirement of 36 x 36 inches. Such compositions can be a good option when the work may be destined for a space where the monetary value of the icon might create problems and the durability of an egg tempera icon isn’t necessary. The final quote for a digital composition includes a high-quality Giclée canvas print delivered to your church or institution.

Large church or institutional projects, such as an iconostasis or series of icons (such as the Stations of the Cross), are varied in their cost. In quoting such a project we consider the time needed to create the icons, as well as costs such as travel, on-site preparations, and installation.

Once I’ve accepted a commission, I ask for a 50% deposit to begin, with the remaining balance due upon completion.

Step Six: Deadline

The last important factor when considering a commission is its timeline (and especially its deadline). Creating a small icon of a saint is a one month commitment of the studio’s time, completing a composition often takes two months, and larger projects can easily span many months. And, regardless of the time required, each must be scheduled in the studio’s overall queue.

It’s important that when applying, you are clear about what your preferences are around a commission’s due date and if there’s a specific deadline which is important for us to meet. It’s always better to give as much of a time buffer as possible.

If an icon is being sought to commemorate a special visit or anniversary, it is important to know whether the studio’s workload can reasonably expect to allow the completion of an icon or project with that deadline in mind.

Because each icon requires significant time in its composition and creation—as well as needing to fit into the studio’s other work of teaching, writing, woodwork, and artwork—I only accept a few commissions each year. This means that I often receive more requests that I’m able to accept. Even if I’m willing and able, it can be a year or two before the work can begin.

In accepting a commission, I consider whether I think that a particular saint or event resonates with my vision and style. As mentioned above, too, it’s also important whether accepting a commission is an opportunity to envision something that I believe will be a blessing to the world.

As an iconographer, I’m especially interested to partner with those who seek to receive the blessing beyond themselves, their family, and their church. Our aim is to bless as many homes and churches as possible where people worship Jesus Christ and his saints and will experience the resulting icon. In this way commissioning an icon is the first step, followed by the making and sharing of prints and reproductions by the studio, which will bring this blessing to everyone regardless of their means.

Please be aware that submitting your request doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be able to create the icon you desire. However, I will be in touch within a week or two with some thoughts. If I wish to accept your commission, I will also respond with a detailed quote, timeline, and a request to schedule a video call to talk/discuss your application further.