On Holy Ground
by Mary Jane Miller
A Sword Will Pierce Your Own Soul. Egg tempera. 23 x 24 inches.
Outside Space and Time. Egg tempera. 12 x 12 inches.
My current collection On Holy Ground attempts to merge ancient traditional icon painting with contemporary thought. As a woman iconographer, my mission is to create images that connect our spirituality with remembering who we are. We are being seen by an energy greater than ourselves.
Egg tempera intermingles egg yolk, which symbolizes the raw potential for life with finely ground colored pigments from around the world. The technique merges the unseen spirit with dust or dirt from Mother Earth. For me, blending the two provokes thoughts for humanity’s future and peace on earth.
My work has been called “a tad rebellious and unorthodox but faithful.” For me, iconography is an exploration and fascination with an art form whose roots lie in a contemplative process handed down from the Byzantine Church. The series, On Holy Ground, highlights our planetary landscape and how humans have affected it. Icons strive to reveal the beauty of humankind and our potential to see the divine in all things. As a writer, I believe iconography contains the finest religious art ever created. In addition, the imagery contains a visual language that is absolutely mystical.
A Mary’s Love of Earth. Egg tempera. 18 x 24 inches.
Ideas and Progressions. Egg tempera. 6 x 11 inches.
Mary Jane Miller is a self-taught Byzantine style iconographer living in Mexico for three decades. Her collections are extraordinary, with a proficient command of egg tempera, and have been exhibited in museums and churches in the United States and Mexico. Her published books include Meditation and Iconography, In Light of Women, and Life in Christ. She teaches 5-day workshops. Contact her at millericons@gmail.com.
