Siksika Immaculate Heart of Mary Icon

Commentary for the Siksika Immaculate Heart Of Mary can be viewed
at the following link:
https://www.andreprevost.com/first-nations-icons.html

I've been working with this icon, always within the context of Sacred Heart, primarily because the Siksika inscription for this icon is the same as the first Siksika icon, which is Naatowa’poiss Kiksipaahpi’, translated to 'Sacred Heart'.

The actual devotion is named Immaculate Heart of Mary, but the chosen Siksika inscription was the best option.

In preparation for this icon, I found that both Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart were used in online postings, with the same images for both. So for clarification sake, for those in the Roman Rite who may see the Sacred Heart of Mary title as an error, the devotion which they are familiar with is indeed the Immaculate Heart of Mary. But this pair of Siksika icons do share the same inscription of Naatowa’poiss Kiksipaahpi’.

April 24, 2018:

The Siksika Sacred Heart Of Mary Icon has been completed. It will be on route to Alberta in May. This new icon is designed as a pair to the first icon.

April 16, 2018;

With 100 hours into the icon so far, I still have a ways to go, but believe that I will be able to complete it this week. It is always hard to accurately judge the remaining time, as anyone knows how To Do Lists work. You scratch one thing off the lust and then find that you need to add another. :-)

April 16, 2018;

With 100 hours into the icon so far, I still have a ways to go, but believe that I will be able to complete it this week. It is always hard to accurately judge the remaining time, as anyone knows how To Do Lists work. You scratch one thing off the lust and then find that you need to add another. :-)

I've been busily working on developing the next Siksika commission, for an icon of the Sacred Heart Of Mary (Immaculate Heart of Mary), and I was waiting until all the major adjustments to the design had been completed, before posting an image of the icon in progress. I'll add some jpegs and notes in order from most recent to oldest.

April 8, 2018:

77 hours later, the icon is progressing well, and the regalia and composition has loads of detail. There is much left to do.

This icon is a pair to the first icon written earlier of the Siksika Sacred Heart.

A few quick notes about the icons (until a commentary is finalized):
- Mary has the same beaded style of pendent as Jesus', although it won't have the neck strap. It is superimposed over her regalia.
- Mary is wearing Siksika regalia from the commissioner's family, with a blue and coral beaded yoke and with thimbles on strands of beads.
- The fan will be developed as dark brown Eagle feathers and a beaded handle.
- Mary has a shawl draped over her left arm, also from the commissioner's family.
- The setting for the icon is near Castle Mountain in Banff National Park, historically important to the Blackfoot Nation.
- The tepees are maintained in the same configuration as in the Sacred Heart icon, with entrances facing both Mary and Jesus.
- The Bow River will be developed with its shallow pebbly section and will have its opal turquoise glacial water which will connect to the beading on Mary's yoke.

March 30, 2018:

An earlier phase in working out base colours.
Note: the initial pendent idea for the heart was recently changes to better suit the icon. In the photo is another canvas which I started and will work on once the icon is completed. This canvas has its own Journal entry 'Reconnection'.

March 27, 2018:

A day earlier once both the icon and totem canvas were inked in.

March 25, 2018:

Once the icon panel was cut, sanded and had the muslin adhered to it, coats of gesso were applied and sanded to the smooth finish. The next step (as with the totem canvas) is to draw in the grid system to help transpose the larger design(s).