Theme-Holiday 'Icon Painting'

This theme-holiday combines the beautiful environment of Halkidiki with the cultural inspiration of the educational art-workshop ‘Icon Painting’.

Halkidiki is, where Mount Athos is, the capital of the Greek Orthodox Church and origin of countless masterpieces in the art of Greek Icon-Painting.

The excursion includes theoretical and practical lessons. The Icon-painting-workshop provides a holistic program about this honorable craft. This theme-holiday includes a trip through the area of Halkidiki with focus on traditional churches including historic iconographic murals.

The workshop includes optionally a ship excursion to the monastic republic Mount Athos as well as a daytrip to the world wonder of Meteora, also known as ‘the flying monasteries’.

The Halkidiki-Greece Iconography-Workshop provides the very rare possibility to enable our male participants the permission to enter the monastic republic Athos. This excursion can be added after the 7-day lasting Iconography-course. For women, who are not allowed to enter the Athos-republic, we can offer optional and inspiring cultural trips in the area.

Like our other theme-holidays, also the Icon-Painting workshop is tailored on the individual needs and ideas of every person.

We are highly intended to realize this workshop as barrier-free as possible and accessible for everyone. Everyone of our team is motivated to enable also disabled persons equally fascinating holiday-experience without limits. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

We try to keep this workshop as flexible as possible. If you have any special requests or ideas, talk to us. We’ll try to work it out for you.

The teacher will guide us in the sacred world of iconography based on a centuries-old tradition! The iconography is not only an art; it is part of the Orthodox faith and speaks straight to the soul of the beholder!

Recommended Workshop Program
+ Optional Corresponding Group Excursions

Day 1
Field Excursion 'Historic Churches'

The first day starts with a round-trip to a selection of historic churches with murals. An art historian will guide this trip, sharing his knowledge about the foundation of the churches, their history and of course the holy Iconographic murals. Some of the churches were constructed on ancient temples and provide extremely interesting merge of architecture. Other churches contain catacombs where the residents found shelter during the ottoman domination. Still other churches were burned down during pirate attacks but the mural Icon Paintings were reconstructed.

This exciting roundtrip will give a perfect start into the ecclesial history of the Orthodox Church, its buildings and its arts.

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Day 2 + 3
Icon Painting Workshop

The Workshop starts with an introduction about the history of the iconography and the two different doctrines of Icon Painting: the Macedonian school and the Cretan school. The theoretical part of the course also includes an explanation about the used pigments and a presentation of the materials which are used for icon-painting; Tools, Icon Painters are using since centuries.
The Students will learn how to prepare wood for an Icon. Than starts the practical part of icon-painting with the first attempt of creating an own Icon. We will offer various illustration images on different levels of difficulty so everyone can choose a topic based on the individual skill-level.

Day 4
Icon Painting Workshop - Boat excursion to Athos

You have the option between the proceed on your icon, guided by your iconography-teacher or a boat trip to Mount Athos, the religious center of the Greek Orthodox Church.

For everyone who can’t decide whether to work on the icon or to go on the boat-trip – don’t worry. We can organize you another boat-trip also after the workshop-week.

Day 5
Icon painting with gold-leaf Workshop

This day of the workshop is focused on the technique of using gold-foil and Ormolu at the Icon and proceeding on the icon.

Day 6
Mural-Seminar Icon Painting Workshop

On the 6th day the workshop starts with a seminar about murals, frescoes and mosaics. Later on we continue the iconography and finish the work on the Icon. Of course we want everyone to leave this theme-holiday happy, you can add another day for the realization of your icon.

Photos are provided by the icon-artist Giorgos Kordis

Day 7
Icon Painting workshop – Excursion to the wonder of Meteora

In case you need more time on your icon, you have the option between the proceed in the workshop, guided by your iconography-teacher or a trip to the world wonder of Meteora, also known as the ‘the flying monasteries’

Also here we can help you, if you can’t decide because also this excursion we can re-organize for you individually after the 7-day- theme-holiday

Day 8
Finale of the Theme-holiday ‘Icon Painting’
Participating of a local observance and celebrating a local Saint’s Day.

We are closing the Halkidiki-Greece icon-painter-workshop with the impression of a local feast of a Saint’s day. Celebrating a Saint’s day in Greece is maybe the best way to feel the spirit of the local people and their traditions.

Possible topic-related add-on activities we can offer you even after the Icon-Painter-workshop

Hiking day
We can organize a walk in the wonderful environment of Halkidiki combined with the visit of traditional churches and a monastery in the south of the Kassandra Peninsula.

Athos Boat Trip
For all who preferred to spend day 4 of the workshop in the atelier can it catch up later. We contact all our boat-contacts to find you the trip which suites you best.

Meteora
For all who preferred to spend day 7 of the workshop, also have later the chance to visit this impressive wonder of human architecture.
Hiking in the mountains of Athos

Insight Athos
For interested man we can apply a permission to enter the monastic republic of Athos on the third peninsula on Halkidiki. This excursion will provide you with memories for a lifetime. The nature is supposed to be breathtaking and so are the very old monasteries. We enable you a rare insight in the hidden world of Athos.

For the women who aren’t allowed to enter Mount Athos as well as for everybody else who is interested to continue the journey, we can work out an individual suited culture and/or recreational excursion program.

Custom made workshop panning for groups & individuals

We are glad to provide you a fascinating workshop, an impressive theme-holiday and a perfect stay based on your individual needs.
Just contact us for further information without obligation

The Teacher for Iconography

Iconographer Maria Doumani   Maria was born and raised in Thessaloniki. She studied Iconography in the ‘Panselinos’-academy under the guidance of her mentors Jianni Sidipopoulo and Giorgios Sidipopoulo. She mainly work on wood by usage of iconographic pigments, gold leaf and ormolu. She also was taught the techniques of polishing and artificial aging of icons. Maria Doumani visited several seminars in the arts of copper-jewelry as well as the usage of bronze and alpaca. Currently she lives and works in the village ‘Psakoudia’ in Chalkdiki. Maria is married and has two children. 'The Icon Painting is my way of expression, associated with my deep faith in god. In the working process of an Icon I try to visualize these emotions'

Examples of her Iconography

The Proposed Accommodation

The Filoxenia Bungalows provide a welcoming accomodation in an appealing environment. We are glad to have them in our team. The Hotel is located right between the peninsulas Kassandra and Sithonia so excursions can be realized easily. The Filoxenia Bungalows provide plenty of space for the workshop. It is in close distance to the sea, contain parks and is surrounded by green forest. The Hotel also takes care for the customer’s physical well-being. The perfect location to host this art-event.

Like all Halkidiki-Greece events also the Iconography workshop is styled to respect individual needs. The hotel offer is an option, not an obligation. Of course, participators are welcome to choose the accommodation individually.

Everybody is very welcome to participate !!

The Transportation

At our excursions we colaborate with local companies. Filippou Tour Busses provide high quality transportation and experienced drivers

The Location