LEONARD BROWN

Abstraction has equal value in Leonard Brown’s icon and non-icon paintings. As he has refined his understanding of Byzantine traditions he has brought expanding sensitivities to his abstracts. ARTIST PROFILE caught up with him in his home and studio in Ipswich, Queensland.

HOW DO YOU BEGIN YOUR DAY?

I tend the olive oil lamps. I’m a lighthouse keeper for the Holy Icons. The one in the bedroom icon-corner burns 24/7, while in the studio, the lampada is lit before my day’s painting begins. The oil lamp is the living flame denoting the presence of Christ, which is a meditation in itself. Then there’s a cup of tea, I walk Fergus (the Scottish Terrier) and then I post the ‘Icon for the day’ on Facebook. I’ve been posting three or four icons (with an accompanying text) daily for many years now; this requires a certain kind of fidelity, seeking out the best icons to represent the day’s Feast. Sometimes, like a mariner consulting his charts, I read the Gospel appointed for the day. It steers my course; there can be an uncanny synchronicity between the set readings with the unfolding experiences of one’s day.

How did you