Unique Icons from beads from Angelica Artemenko

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

He creates real miracles with his own hands Angelica Artemenko from Donetsk. Unique Orthodox icons, which the master creates, will not leave indifferent even a person who is far from religion and faith.

Angelica complements her own author's technique with the old, now almost lost technique of pearl sewing. This technique was used even during the tsarist rule in Russia to decorate tsarist fur coats and other garments. Angelica paints the faces of the Saints herself on a thin canvas, with a blessing. Then the master manually embroiders and decorates the vestments of the Saints, creates a background and patterns unlike any other. Angelica Artemenko makes all this from small Japanese beads. Sewing on one bead using different techniques, in 2-3 months you get a real masterpiece.

For one medium-sized work, the master uses approximately 50,000 beads. Like an ancient Byzantine mosaic, the master lays out beads, conveying all the colors, chiaroscuro and even folds on the clothes of the Saints. It should be understood that beads cannot be mixed like paints, and therefore it is extremely difficult to convey all the realism of the Holy images. The special rich decoration of the Saints is conveyed by unique jewelry made from natural and semi-precious stones, such as carnelian, amethyst, lapis lazuli, pearls, garnet, etc. Gold cords, metal gimp and gem-cut crystals are also used for decoration.

When Angelica works, she forgets about everything worldly and, not noticing the time, gives this charitable work 8-10 hours a day. That is why the Saints look from her icons somehow especially, which is impossible to convey in words. The priests gladly bless such work for the glory of God, for such a talent is given from above.