Iconography Retreat at Bellwether Farm

In the Christian tradition, icons are not painted — they are written. Each brushstroke is a form of prayer, and each session is a movement toward contemplation. This December, during the sacred waiting of Advent, Bellwether Farm invites you to write your own icon of Our Lady of Tenderness — one of the most beloved images in the history of Christian art, depicting the tender embrace of Mary and the Christ child, cheek to cheek.

No artistic experience is required. Only a willingness to slow down, pay attention, and let the work of your hands become the work of your spirit.

Over five days on our working farm in northern Ohio, you will be guided step by step through the traditional iconographic process by Catherine Harrison, a skilled iconographer, and The Rev. Meghan Carlson of St. James Episcopal Church in Wooster. You will leave carrying home a completed icon — written by your own hands, a permanent expression of this season’s quiet and holy longing.