Life-Giving Spring 35x54 egg yolk tempera on wood The legend says that the water from Life-Giving Spring has magical powers. An old blind man was cured, just washing his eyes with help from Leo I. He become later a Byzantine emperor and builded a church on the same place as the spring was. Leo I dedicatet the church to Marry and its still in Istambul, Constantinople at that time. On Bright Friday, the first Friday after Easter, the Life-Giving Spring is celebrated. Icons Icon coms from Greek word ”image” and Ortodox Christians have respect because they see God`s presense. Icon in not only art, it represent liturgical vessel towards dedication of a person. That leads the person closer to the blessing of a seant that is refined and reminds of living a better moral life. Byzantine icons manifest deep spiritual world and shouldn`t bee only captured by theres beauty. The icon requires a solid wood and intermediate surface. Many layers of loosely woven linenand gesso is glued on. This provides a base and a perfect surface without air bubbles or any other irregularity or contamination. Each layer must dry slowly for 12 hours before the next layer is applied. The process is demanding job and takes at least a week. The drawing is extremly important becouse it gives tthe icon: structure, movment and determines the surface for the painting. The old masters carried the original sketches as the most valuable thing so that the icon would remain autentic. They were warned not to use their own. The icon has its own geometrical structure, proportions and size. If the background of te icon is gåing to be made of gold leaf. The icon is painted in coats of paint from dark to light, with egg yolk tempera. The egg yolk gives centuries old icons their quality, vivid colours and an unflawed surface. Very tinn brushes are used for maximal perfection and the attention is given to the details. The icon is almost complete when the iconographer writes the name of the saint. When the icon has dried out, shellah and varnish can applye. The icon is then ”lock together” and have a protective surface. Many people take the icon to the church to be blessed.