Philip Zimmerman
Encyclopedia
Philip Zimmerman is a leading American
icon
painter.
An Orthodox Christian
, he has created hundreds of religious icons for churches and private collectors throughout the world. Through his workshops and seminars he has worked with more than 1,200 students in six countries.
Zimmerman studied under Rev. Richard Osacky, who was later consecrated bishop and known as Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest, Orthodox Church in America
.
A former art teacher in the public schools of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
, he is based in New Florence, Pennsylvania
at his studio, St. John of Damascus School of Sacred Art.
Phil Zimmerman, a noted iconographer, was born in Stoystown, Somerset Co., PA. While a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Phil studied iconography with Richard Osacky (now Bp. JOB, OCA Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest) who came to the area to attend seminary and serve at St. John the Baptist Church in Black Lick, PA.
Phil taught public school art for 14 years. In 1988 he opened a studio of iconography at Antiochian Village near Ligonier, PA, to produce icons and murals for churches and private commissions and began teaching classes in icon painting. In May, 1999, he relocated to a private studio at New Florence, PA. Teaching has taken him to many areas throughout the US and Canada as the popularity of icon painting continues to grow and captivate a significant following of artists from all religious and cultural backgrounds who find it to be spiritually meaningful.
Since opening his first studio, Phil has taught over 1500 students. Icons produced in Phil’s studio are painted according to ancient guidelines and techniques, incorporating modern artist’s materials. Selected subjects are chosen by careful study of time-honored prototypes. The excitement of iconography is that it combines artistic skill and creativity with spiritual motivation and discipline and religious devotion.
Southwestern Pennsylvania has historically been home to a large concentration of Eastern European immigrants of the Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic faiths who arrived in America in the 19th century and worked in the region's coal mines and steel mills. It was through proximity to their culture that Phil first developed his interest in iconography.
While an Art student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Phil studied iconography with the late Richard Osacky (Bishop Job, OCA Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest) who attended seminary and served at St. John the Baptist Church in Black Lick, Pennsylvania.
Early in his career, Phil taught art in the Rockwood Area School District in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In 1988 he opened St. John of Damascus Icon Studio at Antiochian Village near Ligonier, Pennsylvania to produce icons and murals for churches. In addition to church projects, he accepted private commissions and taught individual classes and group workshops in icon painting. In May 1999, he relocated to a large private studio at New Florence, PA not far from Antiochian Village.
As the popularity of icon painting in the United States has grown, the number of Phil's classes has also grown. His icon painting workshops have taken him all over the US and Canada and his work has cultivated a significant following of artists and church iconographers from all religious and cultural backgrounds who find the art of iconography spiritually meaningful in our troubled times.
In 1998 Phil was invited to teach icon painting to aspiring painters from the Order of St. Basil the Great in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary in an effort to revive the art of religious iconography in eastern Europe, where it had been forbidden and destroyed by the Communists in the 20th century. This renewal has continued with Phil's workshop in 2000 in Prešov, Slovakia and again in 2004 in Cluj, Romania. Phil's future plans include holding classes in Poland and the Ukraine. Since opening his first studio, Phil has taught over 1500 students, some of whom have become noted iconographers.
Icons produced in Phil's studio are painted according to ancient guidelines and techniques, incorporating modern artist's materials. Boards are carefully prepared with cloth and gesso ground, painted in gouache, and embellished with 24-carat gold leaf in the preferred Byzantine style. Selected subjects are chosen by careful study of time-honored prototypes. Individual commissions are also similarly executed.
The excitement Phil finds in iconography is that it combines artistic skill and creativity with spiritual motivation, discipline, and religious devotion. In this, he believes it is above all other forms of painting.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
painter.
An Orthodox Christian
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, he has created hundreds of religious icons for churches and private collectors throughout the world. Through his workshops and seminars he has worked with more than 1,200 students in six countries.
Zimmerman studied under Rev. Richard Osacky, who was later consecrated bishop and known as Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest, Orthodox Church in America
Orthodox Church in America
The Orthodox Church in America is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in North America. Its primate is Metropolitan Jonah , who was elected on November 12, 2008, and was formally installed on December 28, 2008...
.
A former art teacher in the public schools of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Somerset County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 77,742. Somerset County was created on April 17, 1795, from part of Bedford County and named for Somerset, United Kingdom. Its county seat is Somerset. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania,...
, he is based in New Florence, Pennsylvania
New Florence, Pennsylvania
New Florence is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 784 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Florence is located at ....
at his studio, St. John of Damascus School of Sacred Art.
Phil Zimmerman, a noted iconographer, was born in Stoystown, Somerset Co., PA. While a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Phil studied iconography with Richard Osacky (now Bp. JOB, OCA Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest) who came to the area to attend seminary and serve at St. John the Baptist Church in Black Lick, PA.
Phil taught public school art for 14 years. In 1988 he opened a studio of iconography at Antiochian Village near Ligonier, PA, to produce icons and murals for churches and private commissions and began teaching classes in icon painting. In May, 1999, he relocated to a private studio at New Florence, PA. Teaching has taken him to many areas throughout the US and Canada as the popularity of icon painting continues to grow and captivate a significant following of artists from all religious and cultural backgrounds who find it to be spiritually meaningful.
Since opening his first studio, Phil has taught over 1500 students. Icons produced in Phil’s studio are painted according to ancient guidelines and techniques, incorporating modern artist’s materials. Selected subjects are chosen by careful study of time-honored prototypes. The excitement of iconography is that it combines artistic skill and creativity with spiritual motivation and discipline and religious devotion.
Southwestern Pennsylvania has historically been home to a large concentration of Eastern European immigrants of the Orthodox and Eastern Rite Catholic faiths who arrived in America in the 19th century and worked in the region's coal mines and steel mills. It was through proximity to their culture that Phil first developed his interest in iconography.
While an Art student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Phil studied iconography with the late Richard Osacky (Bishop Job, OCA Diocese of Chicago and the Midwest) who attended seminary and served at St. John the Baptist Church in Black Lick, Pennsylvania.
Early in his career, Phil taught art in the Rockwood Area School District in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In 1988 he opened St. John of Damascus Icon Studio at Antiochian Village near Ligonier, Pennsylvania to produce icons and murals for churches. In addition to church projects, he accepted private commissions and taught individual classes and group workshops in icon painting. In May 1999, he relocated to a large private studio at New Florence, PA not far from Antiochian Village.
As the popularity of icon painting in the United States has grown, the number of Phil's classes has also grown. His icon painting workshops have taken him all over the US and Canada and his work has cultivated a significant following of artists and church iconographers from all religious and cultural backgrounds who find the art of iconography spiritually meaningful in our troubled times.
In 1998 Phil was invited to teach icon painting to aspiring painters from the Order of St. Basil the Great in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary in an effort to revive the art of religious iconography in eastern Europe, where it had been forbidden and destroyed by the Communists in the 20th century. This renewal has continued with Phil's workshop in 2000 in Prešov, Slovakia and again in 2004 in Cluj, Romania. Phil's future plans include holding classes in Poland and the Ukraine. Since opening his first studio, Phil has taught over 1500 students, some of whom have become noted iconographers.
Icons produced in Phil's studio are painted according to ancient guidelines and techniques, incorporating modern artist's materials. Boards are carefully prepared with cloth and gesso ground, painted in gouache, and embellished with 24-carat gold leaf in the preferred Byzantine style. Selected subjects are chosen by careful study of time-honored prototypes. Individual commissions are also similarly executed.
The excitement Phil finds in iconography is that it combines artistic skill and creativity with spiritual motivation, discipline, and religious devotion. In this, he believes it is above all other forms of painting.