Paul Tish

Paul Tish

Iconography

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Artist Statement: My name is Paul Anthony Tish. I was born in Millersburg, Ohio in 1963. My first experiences as an artist were when I was  a child- you could always find me with a pencil and drawing pad in hand. My early influences were the cartoon illustrations of  Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney, and the paintings of Norman Rockwell. As a teenager I discovered the illustrations of Albrecht Dürer and the paintings of Marc Chagall, among others.

While I never stopped drawing with pen and ink, I have also explored relief carving and silk screen techniques, as well as (more recently) digital art. My last two years of high school I attended a vocational school where I learned relief printing, photography, and many other practical skills. 

In 1991 my soon to be wife and I attended an Orthodox Christian monastery in Hayesville, Ohio. I was struck by the ornate architecture of the Church, but more importantly, the symbolism and beauty of Orthodox iconography. We became converts to the Orthodox Christian Church shortly thereafter, and we were married in the monastery. 

In the fall of 2009 I attended an iconography workshop taught by Dan Nicols of the Byzantine Orthodox Church. I went on to attend two additional workshops over the next few years. These workshops were taught by Mother Olympia of the Romanian Orthodox monastery at Rives Junction, Michigan. I was encouraged by the nuns there to continue practicing “writing” icons, with the blessing of Mother Olympia.

Since  2012 I have painted approximately 120 icons, most of which were given as gifts, although I have sold a dozen or more through gallery exhibits and by commission.

I work primarily in acrylic medium on gesso board or clay board. 

-Paul Tish

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