var lifeIcon = new Image();
lifeIcon.src = "img/System/lifeIcon.png";

function newImage(src){
    var tmp = new Image();
    tmp.src = src;
    return tmp
}

var lifeIcon = newImage("img/System/lifeIcon.png");
var closeIcon = newImage("img/System/closeIcon.png");
var goldIcon = newImage("img/System/goldIcon.png");
...

element.appendChild(new Image()).src = "img/System/lifeIcon.png";

function create(name, props) {
    var elem = document.createElement(name);
    for (var p in props)
        elem[p] = props[p];
    return elem;
}

var el = create("img", {src: "img/System/lifeIcon.png"});

(lifeIcon = new Image()).src = "img/System/lifeIcon.png"; // WARNING: VERY BAD

function img(src) {
  var img = new Image(); img.src = src;
  var canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
  var returning = img.onload = function() {
    canvas.width = img.width;
    canvas.height = img.height;
    canvas.getContext("2d").drawImage(img, 0, 0);
    return canvas;
  }();
  return returning;
}

ctx.drawImage(img("background.jpg"), 0, 0);

var image = img("background.jpg"); #will give you a canvas

var image = function() { var img = new Image(); img.src = "background.jpg"; return img; }();