M A G D A L E N E   G R A C E   D E A N E   ~    D I R E C T O R   /   M A S T E R   I N S T R U C T O R

By the Hand of Magdalene

As the Byzantine Iconographers before her, Magdalene Grace Deane, follows the strict Orthodox Christian canon and methodology to fully convey the theology and symbolism of each depicted Holy Event. Each Holy Icon is prepared and written with spiritual askesis and the exacting formulation and medium of the Byzantine tradition. The process is complex and predates Old World technique. Authentically Byzantine, the technique is ancient, using monastery-prepared wooden panels, earth elements that are hand-ground into pigment for egg tempera paint, gilding with pure karat gold leaf and hand-prepared varnishes from botanicals of the Mediterranean. Iconographer Magdalene writes Holy Icons for Church, Home, Office, Museums and Private Collections.

Iconographer Magdalene Grace Deane produces

Liturgical Art in diverse medium for church and home. 

Her focus (and sole vocation) is writing and teaching the

Iconography of the Orthodox Christian Tradition featuring the Ancient Christian canon. The Orthodox Christian depiction always adheres to the Biblical statute of the "non-graven"

form (never like a statue or in life-like dimensions).

She has studied the Byzantine Greek (Cretan, Cypriot, Constantinopolitan and Macedonian) and Byzantine Russian (Yaroslavl, Moscow and Prosopon) Iconography schools.   

 Iconographer Magdalene recently completed a two year period of research

on Byzantine Greek Iconography

(as Independent Scholar with Privileges) at

The Getty Museum of Art - Research Institute in Southern California.

Iconographer Magdalene is an Orthodox Christian, with an Eastern and Western Catholic heritage.  She lives a fully Orthodox Christian lifestyle perpetuating prayer, study, contemplation, service and fasting.  She maintains a sacred atmosphere in her home and studio with the 

sounds of liturgical music, the light of candles, the scents of blessed incense and the

presence of icons from diverse centuries and countries.  When writing Holy Icons, Magdalene Grace incorporates her rich cultural experiences from her Mediterranean, Baltic, Nordic and Celtic ancestry.   

Iconographer Magdalene holds the honor of being given the Iconographer’s Blessing by two Bishops: His Eminence, Metropolitan Gerasimos of the Greek Orthodox Church and His Grace, Sayidna Nicholas Samra of the Melkite Catholic Church.

She is affiliated with The Orthodox Church in America, The Greek Orthodox Church,

and the Russian Orthodox Church (Outside of Russia).

Other associations include The Melkite Catholic, The Byzantine Catholic, The Roman Catholic Church,

The Anglo-Catholic Church and The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Iconographer Magdalene Grace Deane also participates in ecumenism with

the Society of St. John of Chysostom and the

Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Loyola Marymount University. She has written Holy Iconography for many churches of diverse Christian Rites and Denominations.

"First of all, one ought to love what he does. An icon painter cannot be anything else.

He has to devote all of his life to icon painting."  ~  Mother Maria (Egereva)

S E C U L A R    E D U C A T I O N

Iconographer Magdalene has a triple Master's background in the genres of

Fine Arts (including Graphic, Fashion and Jewelry Design)

Performing Arts (including Dance and Music)

Healing Arts (including Botanical and Culinary Arts)

She attended The Art Center and Cal Arts (both Fine Art Universities in Southern California)

as well as several specialized institutes, trade colleges and apprenticeships. 

She then pursued an interest in Herbology at the Australasian College of Health Sciences for her work in the Mastery of Aromatology².  

Additional achievements also include a Mastery in Tea and Etiquette granted by

the American Tea Master Association's Executive Director, Chas Kroll with

special recognition by American and British Tea expert and author, Bruce Richardson.

Her Etiquette training is granted by the Protocol School of Washington's founder, Dorothea Johnson.

² Aromatology is the science and clinical application of herbal distillates and floral/resin extractions.

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Iconographer Magdalene aesthetic in elegance, design, composition and regal execution originates from her several years in the apparel industry, where she worked as fashion illustrator and designer. In her early career, she designed both women's and children's wear and had her own label featured at Neiman Marcus. One will notice that her paintings convey a deep understanding of garment construction as well as textile content and drape.

Iconographer Magdalene's masterful skill in painting and jewelry design (in the genre of Contemporary Sacred Art) led to a permanent collection acquisition of her pieces by the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her Sacred/Liturgical Art has been featured in 8 prominent galleries and several churches across the nation. Her works are also in many private collections

both nationally and internationally.

Her fine art of hand-cut paper (designs intended as birthday commemoratives) were commissioned by the Monarch League and presented to HRM Queen Elizabeth in 2008 and 2009. Grace was honored with a letter of recognition and gratitude from Her Royal Majesty. 

An original Cathedral Icon by the Hand of Iconographer Magdalene was recently designed and written for His Eminence, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome (at the gate of Vatican City). 

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Iconographer Magdalene Grace Deane has served on two city council advisory seats for the Arts and Culture. She served as judge and consultant to the Scottsdale Arts Council in Arizona and as Vice President of the Arts Commission in Dover, New Hampshire.

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 Iconographer Magdalene has included her mastery of dance in her paintings. One will notice that her subjects are regularly depicted with a sense of choreography, poise and deportment. She was Founder and Executive/Artistic Director of Gracia Art Dance Organization (G.A.D.O.) of New Hampshire where she worked as master instructor, choreographer, performer and set/costume designer. She has worked as founder/director, choreographer/master instructor and designer at the Dances of Spain Academy in Omaha, Nebraska.  She also founded dance troupe Ále Flamenco Northern Arizona (in Prescott/Sedona). 

Iconographer Magdalene Grace Deane (also known by her Spanish middle names, Maya Gracia) has an extensive background in Ballet, Middle Eastern, Spanish Classical/Flamenco dances and has studied with schools from England, Russia, the Middle East and Spain.

Iconographer Magdalene has over 12 years of experience teaching Spanish Classical/Flamenco Dance and Sacred/Liturgical Art to children and adults of all ages. She was also honored to be one of the few instructors in America to have taught and performed Spanish Regional Folk Dances such as those seen in Northern Spain on

the Christian Pilgrimages to Santiago De Compostela. 

E X P E R I E N C E    I N    H E A L I N G    A R T S

  Iconographer Magdalene Grace Deane uses her mastery in Herbology and Aromatology in her icon writing. These two healing arts require a background in phyto-chemistry and an understanding of plant/root/resin formulations (including their historical uses). She applies this knowledge to her paintings' ground, paint and finish formulations in accordance to the ancient Orthodox tradition. She has made a special study of the uses and symbolism of biblical and liturgical herbs which is apparent in her compositions. 

As a certified Master of Tea and Etiquette, she has also formulated and blended her own line of

white, green and black teas.

Please visit www.katholikon.art for more of her work.

By the Hand of Magdalene