The workshop

All icons in Valentina Ovsyannikova’s workshop are created using the traditional egg tempera technique. Natural pigments—earths and minerals—are ground by hand and mixed with an egg-based emulsion. The icons are painted on linden wood panels, prepared with a natural gesso called levkas. Halos and backgrounds are gilded with gold leaf. Once completed, the icon is coated with linseed oil and varnish. This ancient, time-honored technique requires patience and precision—it is impossible to write an icon in a single day.

The timeframe for creating an icon is determined individually, depending on its size and complexity. The minimum time required to write an icon, if the board of needed size is available, is one month.

The cost of an icon depends on the complexity of the image, the size of the panel, and whether gilding is used.

Icon painting is a long and meticulous process, which I approach with dedication and love. I strive to follow the traditional multi-step technique so that my works become cherished family heritage, passed down through generations.

For a special gift to mark an important occasion in a Christian family’s life, you can order the following types of icons:

 • A wedding pair

 • A patron saint icon

 • A measuring icon (an icon of the child's patron saint, painted on a board that matches the height of the child at birth).