BLESSED VIRGIN MARY & ST DUNSTAN STUDIO OF CHRISTIAN ART

about the STUDIO

After a number of years of work & prayerful planning the Studio was founded & blessed by Abbot Dominic Taylor in October 2022 on the feast of St Luke (patron saint of Iconographers) 
 
Our prayerful aim is to make Iconography, study & training in the liturgical arts more accessible. Our prayerful hope is to create a home for liturgical artists & students and to build a community of expertise and shared resources here at Ealing Abbey.  The studio supports liturgical art students in developing creative confidence and prayerful study, we offer a diverse program of both long term and short-term courses of study and we have an eminent cohort of teachers, specialist artists, craftspeople and leaders in their respective fields. We are very proud to be able to call these people friends and associates of the studio. We work collaboratively under the umbrella of the Benedictine Institue and this summer marks our first collaboration with The Institutum Liturgicum & KU Leuven, we hope to further this collaboration with a landmark Exultet Scroll project in 2025.

Who is Saint Dunstan?

St Dunstan is known for his skills in the liturgical arts - in particular for his work in illuminated manuscript writing, metalwork and music. On the basis of his artistic work in particular, his name is used here and his prayers called upon.

NEWS

Keep up to date with the studio

For all the latest news and articles from the studio.

Our Newsletter

Sign up to receive our quarterly Newsletter straight to your email inbox. A great way to remain up to date with things at the studio and to hear about upcoming courses.

The Team

Fr Peter Burns OSB is the monk Director and representative of Abbot Dominic. Dom Peter is a monk of the abbey and has earned a BA in fine art specialising in painting.

Mrs Carrie Whelan is the Treasurer of the Studio. She has a financial background, with a degree in Economics and she worked in the banking industry for several years before starting a family. Carrie was treasurer of the ovarian cancer charity Ovacome, and she was also the parish secretary at Ealing Abbey from 2005 to 2016. Carrie also worked with Fr Peter as Parish Secretary at Ealing Abbey for many years.

Mrs Maxina Studnik is the Lay Director of the Studio. She holds a Dual Honours in Middle Eastern Studies and Comparative Religion.

Maxina came to Iconography through Fr Peter Burns OSB and the original short course Iconography offering at Ealing Abbey. Maxina is now a Neophyte Iconographer and student of Aidan Hart. She has a professional background in Marketing and Board Level Management and is a Company Director. Maxina describes herself as an eternal student and has studied amongst many other things Interior Design and Experimental Archaeology (reproduction of ancient technologies) 

Teachers & Previous courses

Community & Students

Upcoming courses & Events

The studio has been established to provide different courses. Alongside the practical courses we offer a curriculum providing for theoretical and theological studies which will complement the practical teaching. This combination of study and practice we hope will be of interest to artists, architects and those commissioning ecclesiastical art, including clerics and diocesan officials.

our upcoming courses

1st annual St benet biscop lecture with aidan hart

Life in Paradise: visual beauty in worship as a microcosm for life in the world. 

The Benet Biscop Lecture by Aidan Hart.

 Recorded Live Sunday 21 July 2024 Coming to our You Tube Channel soon

Exultet and a practical exploration in creating an exultet scroll

Daily instruction will be given by Duco Vollebregt. You may also begin to make your own Exultet scroll either on your own or with the moderation of our icon studio. For full details click learn more below.

Coming July 2025 (weekdays)

Crucifix Icon Board Course

The opportunity to learn how to create Icon boards and how to become adept at making and applying Gesso to create boards suitable for the writing of Icons in the egg tempera technic & tradition.

Contact us for details of off site courses

a course in mosaics with martin earle

5 day course suitable for beginners & students of higher levels of ability, no artistic experience is required. Aim is to introduce students to practical elements of building mosaics for the purposes of liturgical art.

Mon 17th – Friday 21st March 2025

Gilding COURSE WITH PETER MURPHY

We are offering a 5 day course in different elements of gilding techniques, inc. water gilding and assist.

Mon 17th Feb – Fri 21st Feb 2025

Teachers & Previous courses

Community & Students

Contact Us

Please get in touch to find out more about workshops, classes, or anything else.

Christian Art Studio,
2 Montpelier Ave,
London, W5 2XP

Email - admin@christianartstudio.org

Our Newsletter

Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with our workshops, classes and other bits of interest.