Who is Maria?

Shaggy dandelion I am,

Simply Marche – that’s my name.

Always with the winds, I’m gone,

To explore the worlds beyond.

Have a Starship brightly colored,

Verse unlocks it if a poet.

Like a whirlwind, running hard,

Often also plays some harp.

Flying over, there it stops

in the wonders of the world.

Maria

MARIA ALEKSANDROVA MINEVA

In 1989 she graduated at the Art High School of Applied Arts in Smolyan, majoring in Artistic textile processing. There she meets wonderful people and teachers. She learns a lot about fine and applied arts.
After that she continued to develop skills and knowledge in the field of easel and monumental painting, studying Orthodox icon painting and mural painting at the Faculty of Theology at VTU “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”. For her, this turned out to be an extremely intriguing world, full of multilayers and depth.

What is the process of creating an icon and what materials are used?

The personal attitude, and knowledge of the author always comes first. The feeling of diving into and depicting a world that is invisible to the eyes, but is deeply connected to the soul and hope, must be pure and bright, full of faith and love, so that a radiant image can be transmitted of what the soul feels, seeks and knows. Since it is impossible to portray a reliable thing that is beyond its physical equivalent and descriptiveness with material techniques, time has formed a certain symbolism through which man is introduced into the vast spaces of the universe and which serves as a bridge and knowledge between being. ,, and ,, non-being ,,. Such symbolic techniques have taken shape in the Orthodox Church over the centuries. They had been discussed and finally clarified at the Seventh Ecumenical Council. The icon painter must be well acquainted with the techniques in order to make the icon have the Orthodox expression and for it to correspond to the Orthodox teaching and liturgy. There are also known written sources called Herminia, which were and are, the main guide of the icon painter.
It should also be noted that what is depicted on the icon is not identical with its original image / ie. it is not an exact portrait /, but the depicted speaks with the symbolic language of colors and shapes, reveals the spirit of the image, tells stories, opens doors.
Purely technically, the icon is made on a dry board. A canvas is glued on it, and then it is primed several times. Primers are different, especially today, but the classic consists of chalk, zinc, dead plaster, glue, egg emulsion, linseed oil a drop of love and a spoonful of peace of mind. Once well primed it is sanded to a very fine smoothness. This is followed by the gilding and painting process, which is carried out with pigment or tempera, combined with egg emulsion or acrylic binders and craftsmanship. Finally, it is fixed with suitable varnishes.

About the Creative Process and Art

The creative process for me is that wonderful opportunity through which we can walk the path of self-knowledge and develop and express the better and sunnier side of ourselves. It is a process through which we learn to enter our own infinite spaces, to explore them and to experience the joy of the discoverer, the pacification of gratitude, the peace of humility and forgiveness. And when we manage to enable the Spirit to guide us, then the results are fantastic.

The life-giving creative process, in all its forms and manifestations, is basically the same thing called Love. The more sincere, honest and loving the process, the more meaningful and constructive the result. This applies to the making of an icon or mural, as well as to painting, graphics, music and any area of our lives, because we always have the opportunity to create, even with the quietest and inconspicuous gesture set for us. The art of creation is in the freedom of the soul, in the field of imagination, in the childish enthusiasm caused by a seemingly utopian idea, in the idea itself, in the way you transform it and make it accessible to people. The art of creation is in every sphere. Wherever there is a man of courage, ready to let go of his spirit to create, there is creativity, and therefore art.

1989 – finishing Secondary School of Applied Arts – Smolian.
1997 – graduated from Easter Orthodox Theological Faculty of “SS Cyril and Methodios” Univercity of Veliko Tarnovo, major: Iconography.

Since then she has been professionally occupied with iconography and ecclesiastical mural painting. Her work are the icons for the iconostasis in:

Church “St. Reverent Petka”, village of Manolovo, municipality of Pavel Banya
Church “The Raising of the Holy Cross”, Smolyan
Church “St. Nicolas Thaumaturge”, Stara Zagora / Located in the prison area/
Church “St. George” village of Orizary, municipality of Plovdiv
Church “St. Arhangel Mihael” village of Anevo, municipality of Karlovo
a large of icons on private and public order

Besides, she has designed and realized the complete mural painting of several curches, working in team with Radostina Pavlova / graduate of the same institution of learning, with the same major/:

Church “Holy Trinity”, village of Asen, municipality of Pavel Banya – 2001
Church “SS Galaktion and Epistima”, Stara Zagora – 2002
Church “The Nativity of Virgin Mary”, Stara Zagora spa complex – 2003
Church “The Assumption”, Madzharavo – 2004
Church “St. Nicolas Thaumaturge”, Stara Zagora – 2005 / Located in the prison area/
Chapel of the monastery “Nativity of Virgin Mary” village of Kabite, municipality of Iambol – 2006
Church “St. Kozma Zografsky” – Stara Zagora spa complex – 2008
Church “SS Peter and Paolo” village of Radecky – 2009