Lucy Morrish
My proposal for my second year Traditional Arts and Crafts Project is one of meaning and personal growth. My first year was really the most enjoyable and humbling experience that I can say I have had the honour to be a part of.
Before attending The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts I had painted three icons with my Master teacher, Dr Irina Bradley. This love for icons was embedded into me from the start of the MA Programme and I felt an urge to paint one for my Part 2 exam. The icon that I will be painting is The Liberation of Novgorod (15th Century, Russian). I knew that I wanted to do a very large icon and that I wanted St George to be present in it as I painted an icon of him in my first year. This large icon involves three different scenes from the battle.
My second piece of work is one of great emotion and sentiment. I will be painting an illuminated manuscript miniature painting inspired by the Legend of the Fleur de Lys from the Bedford Book of Hours (1414-1443). This particular illuminated miniature painting first appeared in my life after reading a book called The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Henry Lincoln (1982).
For me the materials are as important as the subject of the painting. I have studied in great depth the pigments and painting canvasses which were used to produce illuminated manuscripts. I will be using hand-ground natural mineral watercolour pigments and will be painting onto calfskin vellum, a traditional art form in itself. I hope to continue the traditional techniques which are found in medieval manuscripts as I believe these hold the keys to higher knowledge and a better understanding of the concept of meaningful beauty.
I feel that every single work of art will meaningfully and harmoniously link to one another in the same way as my journey has done thus far. Being able to paint something from my heart has been unforgettable and I hope that this love can be seen through every detail and brush stroke in my paintings.