For the past three years, while I was at St Vladimir’s Seminary, I painted the icon of St Macrina the Younger that was given as a yearly teacher award. For the final year, I gave her the title Macrina the Teacher – this seemed appropriate for the context, but also,  more appropriate for the Saint. She is best known as an older sister to St Basil the great and St Gregory of Nyssa, who both refer to her above all as the teacher. St Gregory depicts her as an icon of Christ, for which reason I gave her a more Christ-like posture in the later icon.

Year one. St Macrina hold an icon of her three sainted siblings, which is also similar in form to the Three Hierarchs icon which is the dedication of the St Vladimir’s chapel.

Year two. St Macrina is sometimes depicted as a monastic, with the schema.

Year three. This icon went to our music teacher and choir director, and I found a quote that would resonate.

All three icons are painted with mineral silicate paints on plaster panels.