Phil Zimmerman is a Master Iconographer and icon teacher. He has taught over two thousand students from all backgrounds the basics of icon painting, many who have gone on to be successful iconographers. Phil was born in Stoystown, PA and as a young person became transfixed when he encountered Byzantine Orthodox icons. He studied art and education at at Indiana University. There he met students from Orthodox backgrounds, including his future wife Donna Miller. He converted to Orthodoxy and while at Indiana University met Richard Osacky -- known later as Bishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest, of the Orthodox Church in America. Richard was an icon painter and a mentor to Phil as he developed a professional interest in learning and studying Byzantine iconography.

 

Phil started his career as an art teacher and eventually decided to devote his life to painting icons for many churches and spiritual centers. He combined his art with a desire to teach others and soon began to give icon classes both at his home studio in Florence, PA and at convents, monasteries and spirituality centers in the United States and Canada. Phil’s knowledge of the history and spirituality of iconography is boundless;  he has taken students on several trips abroad to study Byzantine icons in Greece, Eastern and Western Europe and Russia.  His classes include teaching the technical skill of icon painting in the context of how these historical religious images developed through time in many Orthodox cultures.

 

He continues today to work on commissions, teaching classes throughout the country and at his home studio. His patience as  teacher, coupled with his broad knowledge of the world of icons, a keen sense of humor and a great story-teller, make for unique and life-changing experiences for his students.