St. Claudia
Today I delivered a small painting of St. Claudia to a family who had ordered it for their newest daughter, Claudia. I designed this painting based on a Roman statue of a woman from about the appropriate time period. The elongated nose, small mouth, and elaborate hairstyle were characteristic of beauty at that time.
I’ve just begun doing a bit of graphic design work in addition to my traditional painting projects. I was delighted to be able to design a cover for the publisher Roman Catholic Books for Alice von Hildebrand’s latest book, Dietrich von Hildebrand and Edith Stein: Husserl’s Students.
In this book she shares with the reader her personal knowledge of her husband, Dietrich and contrasts his personality with that of Edith Stein. It was so enjoyable to read the text, I confess that I was distracted repeatedly from designing the layout.
I designed the cover to show the separation between Dietrich von Hildebrand and Edith Stein. The photos show both of them in their twenties – young students journeying down very different paths. The font selected for the title and subtitle is an homage to the personal, handwritten notes that they left behind in addition to their published work.
If you would like to order a copy of this book, just click on the picture.
Painting a wooden crucifix with enamel
Today I spent a pleasant afternoon painting a 3 ft. tall wooden crucifix. The crucifix is of the style common to 1950s Catholic sculpture. The corpus is made of maple and the cross is oak. I was asked to embellish the figure slightly so that it would stand out a bit more in the chapel for which it is destined. I decided to use lettering enamel. The beauty of enamel is that it gives a finish similar to pottery glaze. The carved wood remains visible through the translucent paint and the high gloss finish provides a lovely contrast to the wood.
Lettering Enamel on Maple
The other nice thing about using enamel for this project is that the painted blood remains glossy. The effect is quite intense.
Blood painted on feet
I stained the cross with “Mission Oak” wood stain and varnish and embellished Christ’s hair, crown of thorns, loincloth, and blood. The finished result is as shown:
Wooden crucifix painted with enamel
Three Brothers
This is the latest painting to come off the easel. These three boys were especially charming as they played with their Legos. Such mischievous expressions!
A few weeks ago I was asked to create a copy of Murillo’s Madonna and Child (1638). I was delighted to do so because this painting is one of my favorites. There is something so very real about the gesture of Christ twisting in Mary’s arms. Anyone who has ever held a squirming toddler can relate to this depiction of Christ.
Copy of Murillo's Madonna and Child
Last weekend the confirmation class of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Casper, WY impressed me with the designs they created as their personal coats of arms. I gave them a brief lecture on the language of symbolism and challenged them to use this language to devise a shield suitable for their new state in life as soldiers of Christ. Each student will have his design printed on a T-shirt. I would recommend this activity for any confirmation retreat. It sparked a discussion of not only symbolism, but also their patron saints, mottos to live by, and aesthetics.
Study of a Red Hat
This is an image of my latest painting, Study of a Red Hat. It is painted with oil on a 12 x16″ panel. After repainting the eyes numerous times, I realized that the eye cannot be rendered simply as a wet sphere, but must be perceived as a more complex mass. The transition from the sclera (white part of the eye) to the cornea creates an unusually shaped highlight. I find it is best to keep in mind the shadow cast by the eyelid, the light refracted in the iris, and the aforementioned highlights.
I’ve just learned that my painting “Blessed Beatrice of Nazareth” was chosen for the cover of the latest issue of Dappled Things. Follow the link if you’d like to read about the upcoming poems and short stories featured therein.
All week I have been reading about the great Spanish mystics as well as the artists and sculptors who lived at the same time. The sketch below is of a sculpture of St. John of God by Alonso Cano.
St. John of God. Graphite on paper, 9 x 12", 2012.
Elizabeth Webster
There is a wonderful young artist named Elizabeth Webster who creates illuminated manuscripts and icons. Please visit her website www.adorientemsacredart.com if you would like to see more!