April 23rd – June 18th 2026
Every Thursday
Online (Zoom)
19:00 – 21:00 (UK Time)
Create your own icon of Saint Aidan and deepen your icon painting practice with this immersive online course. Over 9 sessions, you’ll be guided by Basia Mindewicz, developing your skills in traditional icon painting techniques, and learning some new ones such as applying gold decorations using a traditional method called ‘suslo’, making a glue using Guinness! It is a valuable opportunity to explore a more personal, spiritual approach to your creative practice. Includes live Zoom sessions, recordings, and support.
Suitable for those with previous painting or iconography experience.
£380.00
This course is ideal for those who have painted at least one icon or have prior experience in painting. If you’re looking to develop your technique while exploring a more expressive, spiritual approach to iconography, this course will support and inspire you.
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You can either use the materials that you already have. Or acquire materials from the list below. Please contact us if you need any advice.
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You won’t need all the materials for your first session as it will be an introduction. Please contact us if you want to sign up but not sure if you manage to get all materials before the start of the course.
Saint Aidan was an apostle of Northumbria, and the first bishop of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of Northumbria (now known as Holy Island) where he founded his first monastery to train the next generation of Christian leaders. He was born in Ireland, and lived as a monk on the island of Iona in Scotland until he received a request from King Oswald of Northumbria that he be made bishop of the newly converted Northumbrians.Â
He is known as the patron of Northumbria, and one of the Patron Saints of Firefighters, as it is said his prayers saved the royal town of Bamburgh from an attack by a pagan army who had set the town’s walls on fire. His prayers from Lindisfarne were heard as the wind abruptly changed and sent the flames and smoke back towards the invaders.Â
He was consecrated in 635AD and his saint’s day is celebrated on August 31st.
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Basia Mindewicz is a highly respected icon painter and contemporary artist with extensive experience in both traditional and modern styles. A graduate of the College of Iconography in Poland, Basia has led numerous icon painting courses and workshops across the UK and internationally. She is the founder of the Edinburgh School of Icon Painting, and her work blends ancient techniques with personal, contemporary depictions of human spirituality and truth.
Stephen Milne (verified owner) –
Saint Aidan is such an interesting saint to paint and by working on this icon I learned so much about painting the face and hand as well as his long flowing beard. The icon contains a lot of interesting shapes to paint which also makes it interesting. But with every step carefully explained by Basia each week, it was possible to try out new shapes, new colours and highlights as well as the process of building lights on the hand and on his face and beard.
A special part of this course was getting to use suslo (or caramel) glue made from Guiness stout beer and both making it myself by boiling down the Guiness and applying it as glue for the gold leaf on St Aidan’s garments and the book of the Gospel. It was very challenging at first as I think it probably needs a lot of practice to control the suslo well but the final effect is really worth it!
A luminous icon that provided a great level of both new interest and new challenge from which I learned so much. Thanks again Basia for a lovely course and for your encouraging and patient teaching.