"Show me your icons and I will show you your faith"-- St. John of Damascus

Father Vladimir [William Paul Lysak, b.1969], is a Priestmonk of the Orthodox Church in America.
Higher Education: University of Alberta: B.A. English Literature, 1990. Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary: M. Div. 1995. Currently enrolled in Doctorate program, University of Jyväskylä: Art History.
Ordained: Iconographer [Monastic Community of St. Siluoan the Athonite. Johnstown, Ontario: 1999] by Bishop(now Archbishop) Seraphim of Canada. Tonsured a Monk [2000] by Archimandrite Sergei, New Valamo Monastery; ordained Deacon [2000]; Priest [2001] by Archbishop Johannes of Finland in New Valamo Monastery, Finland.
Studied iconography:
In Canada: with Heiko Schleiper, with whom he participated in painting murals for St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Edmonton, Alberta.
In Finland: at New Valamo Monastery with Archimandrite(now Bishop) Arseni, Auli Martiskainen, Slava Mihailenko, Helena Nikkanen, Egon Sendler, Ulla Tschurbanoff and Alexander Wikström.
In Russia: at the Moscow Spiritual Academy's School of Iconography with Natalia Aldoshina, Archimandrite Luka, and others.
Teaching: Iconology and Iconography courses and lectures:
2000-2003: Valamo Monastery Lay Academy, Finland: ten week-long summer classes on iconography for children.
2000-2003: Valamo Monastery Lay Academy, Finland: three three-week-long summer classes on iconography for adults.
2002: Edmonton, Alberta and Little Rock, Arkansas: two ten-day courses on iconography for both children and adults.
2004: University of Wales Aberystwyth, School of Education: lecture-demonstration on iconology and iconography.
2006: Trinity Episcopal Church Houghton, Michigan: four illustrated lectures on iconology and iconography: 1.”Typically, Usually, and Almost Always”; 2.” Who Is That Bearded Man?: Icons of Christ”; 3.”It Is Truly Meet To Bless You: Icons of the Virgin Mary”; 4.”Icons of the Holy Trinity, Saints And Feasts”.
2008: University of Wales Aberystwyth, School of Education: two four-hour lectures/demonstrations on iconology and iconography.
Current work
Now residing in Canada, Fr Vladimir continues to paint icons for public and private commissions. His icons are found in the private collections of Patriach Alexis II of Moscow and Metropolitan Herman of America as well as in churches and private homes in Canada, Finland, England, Wales, Kenya, and many other places.
Main technique of painting
In accordance with the tradition of iconography handed down through the Orthodox Church, Fr Vladimir uses natural mineral pigments bound together with egg-yolk. He uses chalk-gessoed [or sometimes acrylic-gessoed] wooden panels for support. 22 kt gold-leaf is used on many icons for backgrounds, haloes and for fine golden lines (assiste), as required. He usually uses boiled linseed oil as final varnish, in all this adhering closely to the traditional technique of painting.
Contact information
Please contact Fr Vladimir directly at priestmonk@gmail.com