The artist Iliana Betsinska is one of the best Bulgarian icon-painters. She creates her icons in accordance with the technology of the old school of icon-painters – a true rarity nowadays, as it takes a lot of time, hard work and talent. Yet, thanks to this technology Bulgarian iconography has survived since the 13th c. Her “St. John of Rila”, “St. George”, “The Virgin Mary”, “St. Nicholas” and “St. Elijah” give off a special soft light illuminating her studio in Lozenets District, whereas the walls of her home and of the galleries displaying her works shine. Her icons can be found in many Bulgarian homes as well as in private collections all over the world. They are liked and valued probably because Iliana bears a bit of the genetic potential of her ancestors from the renowned Debar, which bestowed Bulgaria with the wonderful woodwork of church altars – one of the best things created in our lands.

Mrs. Betsinska, your icons are remarkable both in terms of technology and execution. They attest to great talent. Where does an artist’s gift come from?
An artist’s talent may be a gift of God or a manifestation of the genetically set potential inside us. My roots on my mother’s side are in Debar, Macedonia. My grandfather was a man of versatile interests, he was in photography, kept bees, established a furniture factory, making the furniture designs himself. All his three children, my mother being one of them, had the talent to draw. Yet my grandfather did not let them become painters, because their existence was extremely tough at the time. My grand-grandfather on my father’s side was a jeweller. He used to make the gold domes (koube) of churches and therefore my father’s surname is Koubetski. Probably I have inherited from him the skill to paint the details, which is crucial in icon-painting, as it is a miniature. My father noticed my talent and encouraged me to draw, he would buy me brushes, paints and pencils. If it had not been for him, I guess I would not have graduated the Art School in Sofia (1974), or Painting at Veliko Turnovo University “Cyril and Methodius” (1981).

How come you chose icon-painting? Previously you drew very different things?
In my university years I painted still-life, landscapes and portraits. I loved portrait painting, which is one of the hardest genres in the art of painting. Now this helps me in the icons. The skills I acquired while studying painting make the portrayed saints’ images be perceived as works of art, too. I did oil paintings for many years. At home I still have the canvases Self-portrait, The Man with the Coffee, Bar, Harlequin, etc. I started painting icons after the death of my father. His loss was a shock to me. I found real peace of mind when I started painting icons and investing much feeling and pain in them. When I paint icons, I am in a special state of mind. As if I am between heaven and earth, as if I perform a sacred act. Satisfaction only comes when I see an icon completed. Then I wonder how I have succeeded in perfecting the details to come up with a life-like image.

You use the old masters’ technology, which has almost fallen into oblivion nowadays. Tell us more about it?
The elaboration of an icon is a time-consuming and laborious task. It is very important that the wood is duly treated and the ground coat of paint is laid in compliance with the advices and prescriptions of the old masters. Otherwise the ground coat cracks and the paint falls off after some time. If all requirements are met, the fusion of the paint, ground coat and the wood will become increasingly stronger with the years. The icon will survive forever. The technology itself is very labour-consuming. Ancient icon-painters worked on a board, previously treated with glue from animal hide (bone-glue). On top of it they stuck a piece of cotton fabric, which was covered with a ground coat. It consisted of various chalks – zinc-white, solidified, broken and sieved gesso and bone-glue in strictly defined proportions. A yolk was used as a solder, and linen oil for elasticity. The ground coat was boiled in water and was spread hot crosswise five or six times every few hours. This white coating was polished smooth with a rounded bone. Then the icon was covered with foil – thin golden leaves symbolising the “pre-eternal light” of God’s glory. The paints were also applied in a certain succession and were fixed with an egg emulsion. The completed icon was coated with varnish, prepared from turpentine-dissolved mastic and other resins. Processed in this way, the icon stood the test of time and retained its freshness and intactness despite the ravages of the weather.

Icons were painted after special models, guides, called Ermines. These contained a detailed description of the way every holy figure or event had to be portrayed. These rules, called ‘canons’, were based on the spiritual experience of the church. They converted the Ermines into art guides to this world, since they provided the clearest, most accessible and modern expression of the intangible.

I strictly adhere to this whole technology. I can afford to be more creative only in drawing the images of saints, because I make souvenirs rather than replicas of the icons.

The icon enables us to communicate spiritually and intangibly with the portrayed holy figure?
Yes. And a great deal of talent and inspiration is needed to accomplish this almost impossible task. Because under the canon the icon was supposed to be two-dimensional, linear and expressive of the portrayed figure’s soul and spirit, not his appearance. The Bulgarian icon-painter met this challenge in a most compelling way. He remained anonymous, because the canon ruled that the painter should not sign his work. The Holy Ghost was believed to paint the icon through a man’s hand. An icon is painted with “pure hands”, which means that the artist should be docile, humble, profoundly reverent, good-natured and well-behaved, not talk idly, steal or kill, and be filled with a genuine religious feeling, which can only be attained by blending his artistic skills with the Christian way of life. Therefore many old masterpieces are nowadays considered capable of performing miracles and bestowing blissful help on everyone who offers a fervent prayer to God. Besides, the exquisite and picturesque images bring worldwide fame to Bulgaria.

You are also a teacher at Vassil Levski School in Sofia. For Easter you and your students made a charity bazaar at “The Earth and People” Museum to support your school. Is it easy to instill Christian values in today’s pupils?
It is certainly not easy. Yet, with regard to the Easter charity bazaar, the 5th and 6th form pupils studying Fine Arts as an optional subject demonstrated great nobility by donating the fruits of their work for the good of the school, which needs any kind of aid. They showed Renaissance-like enthusiasm and readiness in the elaboration of souvenirs with their own materials: stained glass, painted eggs and tapestries, all full of colour and imagination. The exhibition aroused great interest and quite a few of the displayed pieces were purchased. Although the raised funds were meager, these kids gave a lesson to many wealthy people, who ignore the appeal of the Bulgarian school for help. They also reminded the adults that charity is a prime Christian value.

How does a mother and wife cope with so many things in life?
In order to be an artist, pedagogue, wife and mother in Bulgaria, you have to be “a hero of our time”. These things are next to incompatible, because they require lots of patience, hard work, privation and above all stamina. I for one find it difficult to combine them. I look after three men at home, two sons and a husband. Every one of them is engaged in his activities, so the dinner and home coziness are entirely my responsibility. All this is at the expense of my spare time and rest.

And yet, what are you dreaming about?
I recently painted the watercolour “The House of my Dreams”. And you know what it is like? A small cabin up in a tall tree on a desert island. You can communicate only with the birds there. However, I am unlikely to have it. The moment my younger son saw it, he was keen to come along. That’s in the way of a joke, but I would really like to have more time for painting.

I also want fairly real things like travelling a bit, seeing things I have always dreamt about. It would be a great pleasure for me to visit Debar, Skopje, Ohrid, the places connected with my roots and my grandparents’ romantic relationship. Italy, the great teacher of painters. Paris, the capital of arts, which I have already seen. It was very exciting. There are so many wonderful things in the world…

Ekaterina Pavlova