ChurchPublishing.org: A Brush with God

Step-by-step instructions for painting icons, from original drawings through finished product.

For more than a thousand years, Eastern Christians have used their hands and hearts to create icons, proclaiming God’s reality in a visible–and breathtakingly beautiful–way. This ancient art is enjoying a renewed interest in the West, as people of faith create icons and use them to meditate on mysteries for which there are no words.

A Brush with God is a guide to painting icons and using them in prayer. Written with warmth and energy, it describes the history of icons and examines why they’ve been a spiritual tool for so many centuries. Written from a uniquely Western perspective, the book guides artists–from novices to professionals–through the process of icon painting, using traditional techniques but employing contemporary materials. Included are eight full-color plates of the artist’s icons.

"This is a fabulous resource—practical, spiritual and fun."—Publishers Weekly

"In our culture images can form us or deform us. It is therefore essential to our spiritual health to be surrounded by images that are life-giving and inspiring. My first icon retreat with Peter was a transformative experience. His book now beautifully captures his gifts as an iconographer and teacher."—Diane Hamel, member of the Liturgical Art and Environment Commission for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan

"Through workshops and now this marvelous book, Peter Pearson makes praying with icons entirely accessible to contemporary hearts and minds. A Brush with God combines wise reflection with practical instruction . . . a valuable resource for beginning and experienced iconographers alike."—Meredith Gould, Ph.D., author of The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions and Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder

"Much like its author, A Brush with God is a gentle and soulful treatise on the essence of iconography. Concise and practical yet still a comprehensive primer that will prove invaluable to all iconography students."—Jody Cole, iconographer

"The mastery that Peter Pearson has long brought to the creation of icons, and the skill that he has shared in teaching this art on his icon retreats, he now offers to a broader public in the pages of this book. But most generously, Peter's humble but compelling spirituality—that suffuses all three forms—is his greatest gift to the believer and the Church."—Fr. Rock Badgerow

"This little book is one of the more refreshing titles to appear in the spirituality genre in recent years. A few hours with Pearson and a canvas may bridge many a reader's gap between contemplation and action. Highly recommended."—Library Journal

"A Brush with God is an informative guide to properly painting your own icon oriented art for such similar purposes, and is highly recommended for its outstanding easy-to-use and exceptionally instructive nature.—The Midwest Book Review

"Recommended for artists, specifically iconographers, and for libraries in churches of Eastern religions or those with icons as part of worship and faith traditions.” —Church and Synagogue Library Association