Iconographer Dollie Sipos stands near the icon "The Hospitality of Abraham" she painted. Such icons, which hang in St. Anthony's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Butler Township, are created through a long process that involves a specially prepared wooden base and multiple coats of thin acrylic paint.

BUTLER TWP — At a glance, the icons at St. Anthony's Antiochian Orthodox Church appear to be slick, mass-produced replicas.

Even up close, the religious scenes are void of visible brush strokes, deceiving the untrained eye into dismissing them as pretty plastic.

But the painted scenes are anything but plastic.

They are created through a long process that involves a specially prepared wooden base and multiple coats of watery paint.

Also, there is the element of faith.

"They are absolutely inspired by God," said Dollie Sipos of Summit Township, who painted 28 icons at St. Anthony over a period of 44 years.

Collectively, the icons portray the life of Jesus, beginning with the Annunciation, in which Mary learns from the archangel` Gabriel she was chosen to be the mother of Christ, and ending with the Pentecost and the Dormition, or the falling asleep of the Virgin Mary.

This weekend the icons will be on display at the church, with smaller pieces offered for sale.

In keeping with tradition, Sipos paints icons on linen or muslin that has been stretched over a wooden board and covered with multiple coats of gesso, a mixture of plaster of Paris and glue. The gesso is sanded between coats to produce a surface that is slippery and smooth.

Dollie's husband Joseph, who prepares the boards, estimates it takes him about two weeks to prepare a 30- by 30-inch board; however one larger piece took two months to prepare. Dollie spent about 200 hours painting it.

"There might be six or seven or eight coats of one color to get it perfectly opaque," she said, explaining how darker colors of paint are applied first, moving toward lighter colors in stages.

Replicas of traditional images are desired over newly created ones because Orthodox Christians believe the first icons were painted by Luke the Evangelist.

Copying them instead of producing new interpretations helps to maintain an accurate depiction of Christ.But the icons also contain qualities that skew human perception."There's a distortion about them," said the Rev. Gregory Long, explaining some components of icons are disproportionate to reality. Hands may appear larger, for instance. Children may appear dwarfed."That's intentional, because in many ways it's meant to get us out of this world and get our eyes focused on the next world — heaven," said Long, pastor at St. Anthony's since 1999.Long also pointed to the sacred symbols preserved through the ages by replication.In the icon "The Hospitality of Abraham," for instance, the angels sit in a triangular formation — a symbol of the Holy Trinity.The position of one angel's fingers, two sticking out and three closed up, symbolize Christ's dual nature as fully man and fully God.A tree in the scene symbolizes the tree on which Christ was crucified."The form is important. There is a geometry that is essential, and in many ways our icons tell very succinctly the theology of the church," Long said.Despite the standardization, an inspection of Dollie's work compared to that of her teacher, master iconographer Phillip Zimmerman, shows style variation can still be achieved.Zimmerman's prototype of the archangel Gabriel for instance, is muted and soft. Dollie's is bold and well-defined — reflecting her own unique expression."She was a natural, due to her strong desire and total willingness," said Zimmerman, who teaches in Ligonier at the St. John of Damascus Icon Studio."She has developed both artistically and spiritually into a wonderful icon painter. She sought no fame or fortune but gave her time and attention solely to the glory of God and single-handedly accomplished the complete beautification of St. Anthony's Church in Butler."This is a gift that very few have ever afforded their own church," he said.Once complete, the icons create another opportunity for donation. Members of the congregation can offer a monetary gift in exchange for a memorial plaque to hang near the icon."Our church wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is without Dollie's contributions," Long noted."Her icons add a lot to our experience of worship."

<b>WHAT:</B> Icon exhibit and sale to benefit St. Anthony's Antiochian Orthodox Church, with ethic food and other items also offered. The Rev. Gregory Long will will conduct tours and answer questions throughout the afternoon.<b>WHEN:</B> 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday<b>WHERE:</B> St. Anthony's Antiochian Orthodox Church, corner of Pillow and Sixth streets, Butler Township<b>INFORMATION:</B> 724-287-6893

These panels show the process of how these religious icons are created, from outline to finished art.submitted art