Viola Deimel once made it easy. An icon enriched with personal details that are recognizable at first glance, although, as the Ebersbergerin explains, “artistic freedom and the emphasis on the unmistakable handwriting of the artist” are of no importance in this special area of painting. For icons, which the Duden describes as “cult images of the Orthodox Church depicting holy persons or their history”, and which are often overwhelmingly radiant thanks to the lavish use of gold leaf, there are very clear guidelines for motifs, colors and design . “Every gesture, every detail has a certain meaning, right through to the position of the hand or the position of the feet,” explains the modest 75-year-old with an infectious smile as she reports with increasing liveliness about what she has been doing with great enthusiasm since 2002. Visits to numerous monasteries in Cyprus were the trigger to take a serious look at icon painting – a hobby that she had already come into contact with through her own sister, but which she had not been personally interested in until then.
“I never painted – instead I made pottery and made macramees,” says Viola Deimel, reminding herself of the demand for other artistic hobbies. “And embroidered like crazy,” adds her husband with a smile. Especially during their time together in Iran, where the native Austrian worked as a construction manager for industrial plants such as steel or cement works. This country and its inhabitants made a strong impression on the couple, which can be felt in the conversation. The reason for this becomes very clear through the description of an episode: “It was December 24th on a construction site in the middle of Iran, a working day like any other, and yet a small miracle happened in the evening: suddenly a Christmas tree shone in full in the middle of the camp Candlelight that the Iranian staff had set up especially for us. What a wonderful gesture in a country with a different faith – that touched us deeply! “
All previous works are documented in a memory book
But the couple not only spent part of their 28 years abroad in Iran after meeting in South Africa, where Viola Deimel emigrated at the age of 25. They also made stops in Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya, where the two dived almost every day. Many memories can be found in the hallway and stairwell of their Ebersberg home: black and white drawings of exotic animals, wooden masks by South African artists or luggage bags from Iran, how they are carried there by donkeys to transport bread. But before you go up to the first floor with the Franconian, who came to Munich with her parents as a child, to admire her almost 50 icons of different sizes that hang close together, you first go to the winter garden. Where the trained technical draftsman particularly likes to work due to the good light, she proudly shows a book with photos and handwritten entries in which she has documented all of her work since the beginning. Even those that she has since sold or given away, such as the icon of St. Sebastian, patron of the Ebersberg Church, which the deacon received.
Do you really have to be extremely pious to be able to devote yourself to icon painting? Deimel shakes his head. However, she is also Protestant, most of the other participants in her regularly attended training courses, mostly older women, are already religious. “They know all the festive days exactly and go to church services regularly.” Nevertheless, the Ebersberger woman knows her way around the Bible and has her faith, which is clear from the prayer at the beginning of her memory book.
Own creations are not allowed in icon painting – actually
On the basis of the notes contained there, the artist also explains the elaborate procedure “from dark to light” – for which you need a lot of patience. Icon painting is based on a wooden panel, usually linden or tulip tree, Deimel prefers the Din-A-4 format. In order not to have to simply glue the frame to the board, husband Horst Deimel bought a machine especially. That is why he is the first to create by milling and sanding the boards. Then linen is glued to a glue base so that there are no cracks in the picture if the wood cracks. Now the primer, consisting of eight to twelve layers of chalk, carefully applied with a brush. Each must dry for at least a day. After grinding – “you would later see every scratch in the gold” – the motif is recorded. Deimel finds the templates, which either have existed for centuries or are exclusively newly created in Greek monasteries high in the mountains, in old books, Orthodox calendars or the Internet. Own creations and especially changes to the characters are not allowed. In response to the objection that icon painting is not really art for this reason, the Ebersberger woman replied that the pieces did not change in classical music either – and yet nobody would deny a conductor his artistic performance.
Once a final selection has been made, the motif is first sketched out on parchment, then traced onto the board with a needle made of good steel and with a perfectly sharpened point. The gold leaf then applied with a special adhesive, the application milk, is 24 carat – if you take two layers, the picture is more beautiful and more compact. For a halo, for example, two sheets are needed, for a whole background ten per layer. In between, of course, everything has to dry up again. At the end, the color is added, everything consists of natural pigments – this is very important to the icon specialist. Even egg yolks and dark beer are used. At the very end, the face is designed. If it is a storage library, a special reliquary container, an orthodox bronze cross is also inserted. Sometimes the artist refines her work afterwards, improves it or works in additional depths.
In addition to saints and archangels, Deimel’s icons again and again include the Mother of God and all kinds of biblical scenes. Here, a certain freedom in the design becomes clear, in the details in the background such as the houses or in the external shape: it is both round and angular permitted. The Ebersbergerin is particularly proud of her biennial calendar with photos of the six or so icons that she creates each year.
Deimel’s favorite picture shows a saint with a long beard and shaggy hair. It reminds her of her husband
When asked what she associates with Advent and Christmas, the artist replies that she then takes the time to pause and think a little about her life, the past years and the future. “While doing so, I look at my icons on the wall and am grateful that I still have the time and health to devote myself to this art. For me, Christmas is the festival of gratitude, joy and contemplation.”
At the end of the visit, when asked about her favorite picture, Viola Deimel points with a quiet chuckle at Saint Simeon, whose long beard and shaggy hair are reminiscent of the appearance of her husband in earlier years. And finally admits with a mischievous smile that it is the portrayal of Francis of Assisi into which she has “smuggled” something very personal – namely an image of her birdies Budgie and Tweety, which are freely flying around in the living room.