20 days and counting

As promised, today you get to see the front of my icon painting.

Saint Nicholas

Really pleased with how it turned out although of course now I can see how I could have done it better, roll on the next one.

A very interesting process, which I'm very glad I've learned. An immense lesson in patience as well.

Those who'd finished went out with Ioana to visit the glass cutters and we now have something to paint our next images on. The workshop was amazing, would love one myself. Although I'd have more shelves and less massive pieces of glass. Not having to be structured with our sizes we kind of made do with some of the pieces already cut, so I reckon that's why we got some extra pieces free. Happy days.
Oops, now Vik and I are going to have to find two images to paint instead of one.

After that it was into town and a wee wander.

gorgeous stone door frame

Pizza and chat before the other's went to the Dali Exhibition and I went off on my own for a bit. Came across this door frame nearby the journeyman's house. Love it.
Was a little less sunny today, making it much more pleasant to wander.
Into a church in the Piata Mara, looked lovely although there was an air of distress, which I think is probably more a feeling I got from watching the people in there pray, didn't want to stay because it felt as if I was intruding in someone else's space and emotional time out.

Off to the art shop, got some gold powder so I can now paint on glass at home…. yippee.
We visited a beautiful little place down some stairs that led off some other stairs.

chillin', choosing wine

view from stairs

The bar inside had lovely little brick arches and felt very cosy but much preferred the outside. There were oil burners going and the smell was beautiful. Up the stairs which I hadn't noticed on the way down were all these heads that had been made by the same artist who made my lady.

heads in pot

3 heads in a pot

Each one of these is different as you would expect but oh so special.

N N N Nineteen

Can't believe how fast this week is disappearing, Thursday already and we've booked ourselves to do quite a few things in the next few days.
Today, my first glass icon painting was finished. Very happy with the result.

Here is a tantalising taste of what the image is like, can't turn it over til tomorrow so no photos until then.
It was so much fun to do the background as you could paint over everything else, no sticking to between the lines.

so Vik and I wandered into town, finished for the day before 12.
We got all our boarding passes printed out so we can now go home.
Images printed off to start our next glass painting and then lunch at aThe Pardon Cafe & Bistro, very civilised.

We visited a ceramics shop which has the art of Andrei Pandea in it, himself running the shop. Beautiful pieces.

After that it was a beer break at a small restaurant with a guy playing piano, typically as soon as we got sat down he stopped, ah well, it had been lovely to listen to as we'd walked by previously. Another positive of the restaurant was the view, looking out over the rooftops above the road leading up to Stairs Passage.

view from restaurant

another view

I do love the rooftops in Sibiu, the shape, different coloured tiles as if something living was growing over them. Also the higgledy piggledy nature of them, not laid out in a grid patterns and not all the same, so the shapes they make are incredibly interesting.

another view up the road to Stairs Passage. Lovely wee snippets of colour here and there.







It wouldn't be my blog if there wasn't another door.

Really like this one and it's not just the sculptures on either side but the wood as well.

Day 18

Another morning…. the usual things happened, up, shower, breakfast, make packed lunch and off to walk to the pink house.
Glass awaits!

proper side

This is the point that I'd got to yesterday, The dark red bits were done then so that today I'll be able to paint straight over them with gold.

Yesterday's post showed the image on the painted side, today you get to view the proper side. (paint was dry enough to turn it around)







Today I really began to see a change, because so much of the fiddly bits were painted yesterday, it was on with the larger areas. RED, lots of it, some light, some dark and on it goes. Whew! feel like this is beginning to look ok.

red nearly done

Another day of wearing my glasses all the time, trying to get used to not looking through them when checking colours from the print.

Then I did a lot of green, then skin colour, and then……
I got to move onto the gold, boy does that change the image.
The gold is a powder that has linseed oil added then a colour if you want, I used Esme's left over gold and she'd added yellow and I preferred that tone.

At the end of the painting day my glass icon painting is looking like this.

painted side

proper side

Got back to the flat about 2.30pm, another short day but still feel tired after the concentration, possibly the smells of paint, linseed and diutent too.

So should be finished this tomorrow and we get to start one of our own design.

I'm thinking of making up a wee drawing with the old houses of Sibiu as their theme, the doors and eyes in the roof. So that is my next project.

17 days

Day 2 of painting on glass, and some corrections to be made from yesterday, scratching away the ink where it was too thick or over lines. Took a little while but definitely made a difference. Ioana added a few bits of ink, mainly around the eyes on my figures but all in all, fine or 'bine'.
Really noticing the difference in concentration needed for this as opposed to the masks although there is more copying involved in the painting and more freestyle design involved in the mask-making.

We all have a little pallet, glass or tile to add the paint to. In this case we're using oils, linseed oil and a dilutent so that the paint will dry quicker.
After the black outlines of yesterday we have moved onto the highlights and shading. Tomorrow will be more exciting because we get to block in large areas of colour, looking forward to that.

So here is my painting at the moment.
Please remember he is back to front.

St. Nicholas

We left fairly early because after that layer of paint is on, there is no more painting til it's had a chance to dry.
Back to flat and a wee chill, loving my kindle.

Off into town with Vik and a wee wander to find a certain artisan shop, which we found. A wander around the squares, Bridge of Lies and some lovely scenery.

Bridge of Lies

and closer

2nd hand shop

There are 2nd hand shops all over but not so easy to spot as this one, usually the signs are small, certainly not like our charity shops.

It is mostly clothes and be prepared to rummage, I've found a couple of pieces so far.




Then a seat and people watching from the restaurant in the big square.
Which starts the next wee tale. Ordered some drinks and tried to order food but the waitress left before I'd finished so went up to find her and make sure order was correct. As far as I knew it was. Vik's food arrived and another plate which consisted of cheese and lots of meat. Not what I ordered, "Pardon", the plate was taken away and eventually after Vik had finished her meal by a bit, mine arrived, which was what I ordered. Patience is a virtue as they say but it would be nice to eat at the same time.

P.S.

shoe alley

I saw this scene through a gate, should have taken a photo of the gate and entrance as well as through the gate but people were giving me odd looks as it was. (doesn't always bother me but today a little)

And I found another door I like…….

sixteen

and on it goes……
a bit of a late-ish start this morning but we made up for it.
The beginning of glass icon painting. I did say at the beginning that I would explain this process in further detail later. This is later.
Glass icon painting is a very ancient tradition that was introduced to Transylvania after it's annexation to the Habsburg empire in 1699. The reason behind it's mass popularity is because of an episode (miraculous event) that occurred in Niculae (village in N Transylvania). In a local church on the 15th February 1694 (some scholars say 1699) tears were seen running down the face of the Blessed Virgin wooden icon, the village became transformed into a centre of pilgrimage because of this event. Where there are people there is often a demand, in this case it was for icon paintings which the pilgrims could take home.
In effect, tourist paintings, but most certainly of a different order.

Here are a few from our trip to the glass icon museum in Sibiul.

Add caption

this is quite a favourite

The museum is nearby a church which is also beautiful to see.

This is the largest collection of icon paintings. I found it very interesting to see the difference between the copies of the same image. These are not 'high art' but painted by normal people for themselves. Because of this there is a very naive style.



Anna and Ioana had prepared the space and the glass before we arrived so all we had to do was choose our image. This was, to be honest, quite difficult due to the religious nature of the images. (We only had a few to choose from). Although it was always going to be a little awkward. The point of the exercise is to learn the process which is fascinating even if it twists my brain somewhat.

beginnings

just started

We practiced for a bit to find a pen we liked and to get used to wiping off the ink. Using dip pen and ink on glass is NOT easy. The paper is so that you can lean on something and not get greasy finger marks on the glass, which does make the ink go horrible.

Also, unless you are above the image it is really difficult to copy the lines because you keep seeing double. Aaugghhh!

Break time, and this is my wee work station. For those who know me, please notice my glasses which I hardly ever wear, I wore them all day.
Lunch over and back to it. Today we have to get the black ink done, let it dry and tomorrow we do the white.

concentrating

more concentration

I didn't take many photos because it's difficult to take time out while concentrating so much. 

Sore on the brain.

There were a lot of growls during this process  and I found that just walking away and stretching helped release the frustration.

black done

 

This is how I left my piece, I will most certainly have to neaten up (scrape) some of the lines and maybe fill in others but I'm quite pleased so far. 

Not expecting miracles but of course I would like to be perfect straight away….. ha ha.

Off back to the flat and a wee rest, the girls came back because there is only internet at our place. Contact with the outside world complete, cooking. eating and bedtime.

Day 15

Sunday, and today I could not be bothered getting out of bed. Definitely a lounging day.
Had a tea and a little breakfast and read a lot, fabulous.

Eventually, I decided to wander into town, not sure what to see but just to wander. Quite busy.
I went through Piata Mare,

Piata Mare

Piata Mica

down Str. Bruckenthal, past Piata Mica and on into Piata Huet.






Saw some gorgeous old houses.

and passed by the journeyman's house,

outside of which is this amazing sculpture/totem.

erected 2004

Not sure how much of it was there at the beginning and how much added later.

I found the bridge of lies and have now been over it but not under it. 

Ha, got to leave something for another day.

Stopped for a lovely pizza in the square and back to the flat and my book.

Day 14

2 weeks…. how did that happen?

After the walk yesterday it was a bit of a lazy start, or we tried to but next door decided to discuss something loudly at 6am this morning as well as a bit of singing by the guy.
Still, quite relaxed morning, postcards sent off, met up with Martin (Grampus Heritage) and got a lift from him to the Astra Museum (http://www.muzeulastra.ro).
15-17th Aug they are holding the 'Festivalul National Al Traditiilor Populare', and we are exhibiting our masks there for the three days. Thanks to Anna and Ioana for setting up our display and looking after it while in traditional costume. Obviously they have their own masks and icon paintings there but very happy to be exhibiting.

We had a little walk around again, had to eat, and then strolled back and bought a few lovely items. There were so many beautiful things for sale but the ones I'd really like are too expensive and too big to go in the case. Ach well, c'est la vie.

naive sculpture

apple press

These are a few of the things seen, I think I mentioned the sculptures in an earlier post, still more I haven't shown.

I'm sure the sign said apple press but possibly could be for other fruits too.

Still haven't seen all the different buildings so a third visit is in order but it will be when there are no other places to be or people to meet. 

This little tree hut looked very cute, not sure it's exact purpose but blends in well with the trees. 

There were lots of buildings up into the trees but haven't made it to them all to check them out properly.

Love the shade of green here as well.

 One of the smaller houses, we were up the steps and onto the balcony, quick as you like, then peace descended. Very small but cosy and cool behind the vines. Couldn't get into the room or see in, which was a shame.

As you may have noticed the last lot of doors, I do like them so here's another one.

There is a great deal of charm when building, doors, windows, etc, are made to fit but in a slightly higgledy piggledy way. Totally original, unique and made by hand.

The traditional crafts we saw have this beauty as well, hand-made things have love built in.




So, back onto the path and I bought some lovely carved spoons from a guy who'd we'd stopped at previously. He'd explained the symbolism behind the different designs and even written them out in english. Thee had been some just as nice and occasionally better but I think he deserved the trade for his time and manner.

piper

This guy could play all the instruments he'd made, lovely sound and yes they are like bagpipes.

Looking smart

Then there were a few drops of rain and we helped pack the masks away and got a lift home which was perfect.

Off out in a few minutes, into town to meet up with Martin and Monica again.

Had a lovely meal out just off the big square and plenty laughs. Caught a little of the opera, The Barber of Seville which was being performed in Piata mare. Here it is backstage right.