​     WE ALL CHERISH BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIPS.  Friendship, also known as Philia love, is defined as an authentic friendship that is an intimate sharing of values, interests and experiences between people.  It is argued that it could be one of the strongest relationships of all the loves.  I know for me, I cherish those friends whom I am most close with in my life.  Intimate friendships are great blessings.

     As we find ourselves in the month of November, we are reminded of so many beautiful souls who are no longer with us.  November is what we hear people say, the month of the dead.  I never liked hearing the month of November described in this way because my birthday falls during this month.  Who wants a birthday celebrated in the month of the dead?  But the more I ponder this, the more I realize the depth and beauty of November.  First, we honor the saints.  Saints are men and women who actually are our friends in heaven just waiting to intercede for us here on earth.  They are normal people like you and me who fought the good fight, endured hardships and never gave up on their faith.  They continued to grow in holiness and stay in the grace of God no matter the cost.  I find it comforting to know that we can look to these holy people to pray for us. We look to them as our friends.  We also honor the souls of our loved ones who have already gone before us.  We not only remember them, but we also pray for them that their souls are purified so that one day they will be with God in eternity forever.  Our loved ones need our prayers, as we need theirs.  How beautiful that we keep this friendship going into eternity.

     As we enter the “month of the dead”, a new saint has recently entered my life!  His name is St. Francis of Paola.  During the fall season I committed myself to further art development.  I worked with a great master of today, Eric Armusik, a classical figurative artist from Pennsylvania.  We worked together to complete a copy of a master painting.  From the options presented, I chose St. Francis of Paola by Jusepe de Ribera, a Spanish artist from the seventeenth century.  I was drawn to the beauty of this painting because it had a glow and serenity I cannot explain.  The way St. Francis looks upward in his gaze makes me somehow connect with his heart.  I only imagined what he was praying at the time of this intense gaze.  It was a beautiful experience to intimately get to know this painting, which in turn made me want to get to know this saint!  To no surprise, St. Francis of Paola was very much like St. Francis of Assisi.  He was a Franciscan Friar from the fourteenth century who possessed similar virtues of St. Francis such as poverty and humility.  Qualities I hope to achieve, only by the grace of God.

     During this month of November as the leaves drop from the trees and nature is dying all around us, rather than grumble that I celebrate a birthday in the most depressing “month of the dead”, I pray that I will instead consider myself blessed to have been born in a month that celebrates our friends in heaven.

     Speaking of saints, this is a perfect time to mention that I will be taking on a “saint project” for the coming year.  I plan to do a series of paintings depicting some of our most special saints.  If you have any suggestions please send me an email and let me know!

     I’d love for you to check out Eric Armusik’s beautiful artwork at ericarmusik.com.  I also hope you have the opportunity to get to know Saint Francis of Paola, as I have.  You can read more about him at: https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-francis-of-paola/.  My painting of Saint Francis is available for purchase.

     HAVE YOU EVER SEEN a natural spring of running water flowing from the earth?  Have you ever stopped to think how amazing the idea of this is?  I find it fascinating that fresh water can freely and continuously flow from the ground.  Last October we visited a dear priest friend on Block Island who introduced us to a natural flowing spring.  As a matter of fact, he told us that he remembers fetching fresh water from this particular spring back in 1958 while visiting his uncle on the island.  Stop and think for a moment, this spring of water has been flowing most likely, since before 1958!  I say to myself, how can this be?  As I sit writing this reflection, my husband and I are actually on the Block Island ferry returning home from a beautiful September day on the island.  I have my large bottle filled with water from this very spring.  I no longer visit the island without making a special stop at my new favorite place.

     With this on my mind, I'm thinking about the reflection I’ve been wanting to write for quite a while about the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Now that the painting is completed, I desire to write the thoughts and feelings I encountered while working on the Sacred Heart Project.  What does “Sacred Heart of Jesus” mean?  A few months prior to starting this painting, I felt uncomfortable with the idea of painting Jesus.  Honestly, it felt slightly intimidating for obvious reasons.  How does one portray Christ?  I am not worthy of such a high task.  I also tried to sit with Jesus in front of the tabernacle to begin to discern His heart and His desires for this project.

     I believe that all things happen for a reason and I know that God assisted me in my reflection by introducing a special book that a fellow parishioner recommended, The Bishop of the Abandoned Tabernacle, reflections by Saint Manuel Gonzalez Garcia.  This was exactly what I needed!  I soaked up every word and at times sat with it in front of the Tabernacle.  The beautiful reflections and thoughts from St. Manuel touched my heart and helped me to begin to understand Jesus in the Tabernacle.  It is in the Tabernacle that I learned that Jesus is most active.  And it is there where we can most certainly find His most sacred heart.

I learned that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is:

A crucified heart.
A redeemed heart.

A heart that takes on all our sins.
A heart that loves us so much, it redeems and offers us salvation.

A heart with eyes that see us.
A heart with ears that hear us.

A heart that is resurrected.
A Eucharistic heart that offers us His body and blood.

     Jesus has a heart that is very much alive and burns for souls to come to Him.  He freely gives us His heart and we are free to receive it.  I envision Jesus as mighty but gentle, therefore my painting portrays Him as mighty in appearance but with eyes that gaze toward us with compassion, mercy and most importantly, love.  I made Jesus’ hand large and strong, His cloak white to signify His redemption, His crown of thorns and the mark from the nail in His hand to remind us of the suffering He endured for our Salvation.  Jesus’ halo is Eucharistic in appearance, reminding us that He comes to us fully alive in the Eucharist.

     When I sit in front of the Tabernacle I can’t help but realize that Jesus is fully alive and present.  His merciful heart is right there just waiting for us to come to him.  Our priest friend who introduced my husband and me to the spring made the analogy of the continuous flowing water with that of God’s abundant grace for us.  This is all I could think of today while filling the water from the natural spring into my water bottle.   At that moment, it dawned on me that Jesus’ heart is just like this fresh running water.  He is continuously pouring his grace out to us from his merciful heart.  It is constant and never ending, just like the water flowing from the natural spring.

     This painting is very special to me.  It is by far one of the most important paintings I’ve ever done and I pray that it finds a special home.  Whoever desires to obtain this, I know that it is because Jesus is desiring to share his heart with them in a profound way.  Along with the original, prints are also available.


God bless you.


Sharon

Dear Friends,

I HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING the summer season!  This is a time to step back from our busy schedules, rest and enjoy the beauty of nature that surrounds us.  I have been doing such fun paintings and am excited to share them with you!
​

​SUMMER PAINTINGS


Pup Portraits
​
For a long time I avoided the request from my daughter to paint her puppy, Louise.  Not because I didn’t want to, but because I haven’t been in the business of painting animals.  My focus has always been on people and sacred art.  I’ll be honest, I feared the idea of failing at painting our beloved pets.  But fortunately, my daughter would not relent in asking, so I finally decided to just take the plunge!  My daughter’s vision was to have her sweet puppy, Louise, posing in a bathtub.  She wanted a small painting to hang in her bathroom.

To my amazement, I was pretty happy with the outcome!  My first pup portrait was a success!

Next, I had to fulfill the long standing request from my husband to paint our beloved dog, Ruari.  How could I paint our grand dog and not our own!  So, I got right to it and again, was surprised with the results!

I think I may have a newfound interest in painting family pets.  Honestly, they make great gifts for people.  It's a great memorial gift for someone who has lost a pet.

Please reach out and let me know if you have an interest in a pup portrait!


PAINT PARTY WORKSHOPS

I thoroughly enjoy offering summer paint workshops.  I’ve done both public and private parties throughout July and August.

Sailboat Paint Night
It’s been a great summer of paint workshops!  In July we had a beautiful outdoor garden paint night (thank you to my sister for hosting)!  Seventeen budding artists showed up to paint whimsical sailboats!   We enjoyed wine and cheese, a beautiful evening in a backyard garden, and most especially, one another’s company.  Thank you to all who attended!

Summer Poppies Paint Night
Our end of summer Summer Poppies Paint Night will take place Thursday, August 22nd (outside, weather permitting) on my back patio!  The class is now closed due to a full sign up. I look forward to a great evening painting poppies!

I plan to offer more paint workshops in the fall and winter months at my home studio!

WHAT’S ON THE EASEL


The Sacred Heart of Jesus

I am currently working on a very special sacred art painting, “The Sacred Heart of Jesus”.  Over the past few months, I've been asked if I ever painted the sacred heart of Jesus, which I unfortunately had to respond, “no”.  I sensed that this was the Holy Spirit whispering to me to consider painting this very special and holy image.  Something about this image makes me feel very unworthy.  Perhaps, because it feels bold of me to think that I can paint Christ.  I know that I am not worthy, but I also know that if I forget about myself and let the Spirit work in me, that God will bring forth His plan and beautiful creation.  Once I decided to forget about myself and my concerns, I decided to just let it happen.  I’ve been praying with this idea for a couple of months and also learning more about the true heart of Jesus.  Between intense prayer and creative thought, I finally hit the easel. I am very excited to reveal this painting soon!

Lastly, I recently participated in a great podcast with a handful of students from Pontifex University (where I am receiving a Master of Sacred Arts degree).  The podcast is about sacred art, our call to this beautiful ministry and the importance of sacred art in our culture.  I am excited to share this when it is released!

If I can say one thing that I learned this summer, it is that God is full of surprises!  Who would have ever thought that I’d discover a new talent - pup portraits!  :-)

Enjoy the rest of your summer!


Peace,


Sharon

     RECENTLY, BABIES AND CHILDREN have been the hot topic of conversation within our home.  This is because our oldest daughter is expecting her first child next month. My husband and I are over the moon, ecstatic because this is also our first grandchild.  It’s been a while since we’ve talked about young children, not to mention getting ready to have one again in our daily lives.  I must confess, even though I raised four children who are now all in their twenties, I feel slightly inadequate and a little rusty to be around babies and young children.  What is all this going to look like?  Welcoming a new baby is not only life-changing for the parents, but we are coming to understand that it is life-changing for grandparents as well!  As I’ve been reflecting on having young children in our lives, one of the gospel readings this week caught my attention more so than usual.

People were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”  Then he embraced the children and blessed them, placing his hands on them. Mark 10:13-16
 
     We will not enter the Kingdom of God unless we accept it like a child?  We may be tempted to breeze right over this gospel because at first glance it seems almost too simple.  Or perhaps we feel a disconnect simply because we can no longer relate to what it’s like to be a child.  I must confess, this gospel never spoke to me as much as other gospels have.  I wonder why this is.  Do we fully understand what Jesus is saying to us in this passage?  I don’t know about you, but it’s been quite a while since I’ve been a child.  Many of us probably don’t think too much about what it was like when we were children.  Maybe for some of us there are painful memories from our past that we’ve tucked away, or maybe the daily responsibilities and anxieties of our daily lives prevent us from remembering the innocence and simplicity of what it was like to be young.  Whatever the case may be, most of us don’t stop too long to ponder our childhood. 
 
     For me, this past week has been a reflection on my past.  I’m not sure I made a conscious decision to do this, but instead I believe that the Holy Spirit put this on my heart.  Let me explain.  In celebration of my husband’s birthday, we decided to enjoy a day in Newport, touring the mansions and walking the famous Cliff Walk.  We decided to end the day with a drink on the lawn of the Newport Castle Hill Inn, overlooking Narragansett Bay.  While we were sitting on the Adirondack chairs and taking in the beauty of the ocean, we noticed a couple of young families sitting next to us with two small children.  One young girl about the age of nine was frolicking in the grass by herself, doing handstands, one upon another and another.  This instantly struck my attention for two reasons.  First, because sadly, most children while out with their parents, occupy their time looking at an electronic tablet of some sort.  The sight of this girl playing was refreshing.  She was entertaining herself by practicing her gymnastics on the plush lawn of the Castle Hill Inn.  The second reason it struck my attention was because I saw the mirror image of myself in this girl.  Watching her brought me immediately back to my childhood.  As a child, I was most often upside down, doing the same handstands and cartwheels in the grass, yelling out to whomever would listen to “watch me”!  I couldn’t help but reflect on those innocent days.  I instantly felt that childlike freedom of joy and simplicity. 
 
     This girl was secure, knowing her parents were right next to her.  The feeling was almost tangible.  She didn’t need to hang on them or talk with them.  She was simply there; joyful, content, and secure.  In that moment I saw her living out her childlike freedom.  My observation of this scene playing out was perhaps my own recollection of memories from my childhood.  There was a beauty in this moment that I couldn’t stop thinking about.   It was the childlike purity that perhaps I had forgotten about and what Jesus calls us to.
 
     I believe that God was speaking to me that day through this nine-year-old girl on the lawn of the Castle Hill Inn.  God knew that I didn’t quite understand the gospel reading that week and decided to show me what exactly He meant when he said, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”  Oh yes, I now see, Lord. 

     This is what Jesus means when he tells us that we must enter the Kingdom of God like a child.  I finally understand what Jesus meant that day as I sat at the Castle Hill Inn quietly observing this beautiful young child living out her purity and innocence.  I know Jesus was smiling as he watched her every handstand and cartwheel.  I felt God smile on me as well, as He reminded me of the beautiful gift of a pure child’s trust and freedom.  That moment was a gift and a way that the Holy Spirit communicated His knowledge of what it means to come to Him as a child.  Praise be Jesus for speaking to us in the most beautiful ways. 

     The above image is of the Holy Spirit I was recently commissioned to do for Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Wakefield, RI for Pentecost Sunday.  Prayer cards were created and passed out to parishioners and a print of this image hangs in the rectory of the parish. 

     I pray for all the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom on this Memorial Day and I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend with your families.


Peace,

Sharon



​​

​BE WATCHFUL AND WAIT.  Waiting…I’m sure we can all agree how difficult this can be.  In life we wait for so many things.  The more I think about it, our entire lives are centered around waiting!  Waiting in line at the checkout, waiting in anticipation for a new baby, waiting to hear about a job offer, waiting for broken relationships to heal.  We are always waiting for the next thing.   The season of Advent is all about watching and waiting. 
 
So, what would waiting have to do with pondering the beauty of trust?  Well, for starters, waiting requires trust.  I find waiting to be very difficult, especially if it’s something I’m waiting on that’s important!  Trusting can be difficult and requires a certain sense of hope for all we anticipate working out best.  But what happens when things don’t go our way?  We put ourselves out there and trust, but our hearts can be broken when the results are not what we anticipate.  It is here where we begin to experience what true authentic trust is all about.  When things don’t turn out how we’d like, it might be that Jesus is asking us to TRUST in HIS way.  These are the times when, instead of choosing to become bitter, we instead are called to cling to God, “trusting” that He knows what is best for us.  How do we live this kind of trust? 
 
Recently, I received a beautiful book on the Litany of Trust – a daily reflection on developing full trust in God, the kind of trust that will bring true peace.  Since I’ve begun the daily reflections, I’ve been pondering on what all this really means.  In hindsight I realize now how much I rely on myself to get through difficulties, even when I think that I’m relying on God.  I confuse myself by thinking I’m trusting when in fact, I’m not.  Sometimes it takes very difficult situations to show me that more trust is needed in my life.  When we don’t have the answers to difficult situations or we feel that God is not hearing our prayers, we can somehow get trapped into thinking that there will never be a way out.  This way of thinking creates barriers and does not allow God into those areas of our lives that are keeping us from experiencing the peace and resolutions that God so deeply wants for us.  The truth is that God is asking us to pour ourselves out in complete humility to Him, never losing hope.  One of the ways in which we know we are completely trusting is if we can wholeheartedly abandon ourselves to Him, faults and all.  It takes complete surrender to look honestly within ourselves, even if it hurts.  This feels like a risk, and it is!  So, before we decide to take this risk, we must first understand that God will still love us within our messiness and faults.  It is wrong to think that we have to be perfect in order for God to love us. God is not a tyrant and does not point fingers.  Rather, He opens his arms and meets us where we are.  He won’t condemn us but will instead gently correct and direct us to where we need to be.  I don’t know of anyone who would want to open their hearts to a God who would only make us feel rejected and shamed.  So, it is necessary to accept God as a loving and merciful Father before we can surrender our whole selves to Him. 
 
Throughout my reflections I’ve been asking myself the question, what does trust look like in my life.  What is authentic trust?  Do I trust my loved ones and other people I interact with on a daily basis?  If I lack a sense of trust toward others, what is the cause?  This, for sure, takes much reflection!  As I was praying recently on this, a memory popped into my head.  At first glance it may not seem like this story I am about to share has much to do with trust, but really, it has everything to do with it.  Trust stems from love.  The more we love and the more we are loved, the more we will trust.  If we have hearts open enough to receive God’s unconditional love, then our trust will flow more easily to those around us. 
 
A couple months ago I attended a daily morning Mass at my local church.  As I was walking back from communion, to my surprise I noticed one of my daughters in the communion line.  I had no idea she had been at Mass, as she had been sitting in the back of the church.  I chuckled a little to myself, but also felt a sense of gratitude and peace that she was there.  After Mass ended, I walked to the back of church to see my daughter but did not want to interrupt her as she was kneeling to pray, so I simply walked up and gently kissed her on the forehead.  It was a simple sign of acknowledgement to show her I loved her.  There have been countless times where I kissed my children on their foreheads, but for some reason there was a tenderness in this moment that I couldn’t help but recognize.  Afterwards, as I was driving to work and reflecting on that quick exchange of love, I suddenly realized that this simple act of kissing her on the forehead was something my own father had always done with me.  It was, in a sense, his way of showing his unconditional love for his children.  Without consciously realizing that I learned this from my father, I subconsciously passed this on to my own children.  That day God showed me that even small gestures of unconditional love have a profound impact in ways that we could never imagine.  For sure this is God’s beautiful work at hand. It was trust on the part of my father to offer his love to me, and trust on my part to share this love with my daughter. 
 
Christ loves us perfectly and if we spend time with Him in the quiet of our hearts, we will begin to learn what Christ’s love is about, even if just a little.  This will start to teach us authentic trust for God and for the people in our lives.  At the core, solid relationships are built on basic trust and respect for one another.  My dad understood God’s unconditional love enough to express that love unconditionally to me, and as I learned love from him, I was able to express that love to my children.  Love has a ripple effect.
 
In my new painting, “The New Adam and New Eve”, we see the contrast between Adam and Eve in Genesis and the New Adam and New Eve in Mary and Jesus.  Let me explain…In Genesis, we know that Eve’s disobedience caused original sin to enter the world.  Eve was tricked by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of life and then in turn, Eve shared this fruit with Adam.  You will notice in my painting how Adam and Eve are looking at each other rather than towards God.  Out of shame, they hid from God.  In contrast, Mary keeps her gaze on Jesus, as He gazes in pure love toward her.  There is an exchange of complete and mutual trust.  Mary holds up the chalice as Jesus pours out his body and blood for us.  God gave Eve her name because she is the mother of all humanity, which is why we refer to Mary as the New Eve.  As Christ looked to Mary and John from the cross, he spoke the words to Mary: "Woman, behold your son", and to John: "Behold your mother".  Mary represents all of humanity.  She is our Spiritual mother.  When Mary spoke the words at the Annunciation: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word”, it was her response of full trust in God’s will.  This allowed God to enter creation for our redemption.  Since Mary, the New Eve represents humanity, her “yes” can also be our “yes”.  What an example Mary is for us!  Christ has come to redeem you and me!  I find it no accident that the liturgy readings today are Genesis 3:9-15, the story of the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and Luke 1:26-38, the Annunciation of Mary.  How  beautiful that this writing and my painting just happened to find it's completion on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  It's amazing how God weaves His loving way throughout the tapestry of our lives.
 
So be watchful and wait.  Be watchful to find Christ in the everyday moments of our lives and in the little ways we interact with one other.  As we sit and wait for the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, we just might discover a transformation of profound love and trust like we’ve never experienced before, if we only keep our gaze upon Christ, as Mary did.
 
This painting is dedicated to Bill Murphy, a fellow artist, who has gone home to our Lord.  He was a living example of authentic trust.  Thank you for your example, Bill, and may you live in the peace of Christ forever. 
 
 
ART UPDATES: 
 
I look forward to sharing a painting I’ve been commissioned to do for a beautiful couple that will be released in January. 
 
I hope to do more paint workshops in the winter and spring months so keep an eye out for new announcements.  I hope you will participate!
 
May your Advent season be holy and blessed as you wait for the coming of our Savior.  God bless you!
 
 
Peace,
 
Sharon

We are all familiar with the popular saint, Mary Magdalene.  She is mentioned on numerous occasions in the bible, sometimes more than the apostles.  Some believe her to have been a prostitute before her conversion.  Others believe she was possessed by demons.  Regardless of who Mary Magdalene was before her conversion, what we know is that she turned out to be one of the most loyal and loving followers of Jesus Christ.  This is what intrigues me about Mary Magdalene.  We know she was a key figure in Christ’s life and even walked with him during his ministry.  Jesus had a very special love for Mary.  She was the first apostle to see Jesus at the tomb after his resurrection.  He trusted her to go and tell the others of His rising!
 
Jesus embraced the dignity of Mary Magdalene even despite the life she led prior to her knowing Him.  She understood and knew Jesus’ unconditional love for her.  Pope John Paul II, in his Theology of the Body talks about how in Genesis Adam “knew” Eve.  Adam understood the heart of Eve. This “knowing” is profoundly intimate because Adam understood the true dignity of the human person of Eve.  This is the desire of each and every human person’s heart.  And the good news is that Jesus knows all of us in this most profound and personal way.  We can only come to know this love by opening our hearts to Jesus and allowing His grace to penetrate us.
 
The relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is so beautiful.  We can all relate to Mary in the sense that we are all sinners.  Jesus doesn’t condemn us, but rather loves us in our sin.  We know that sinning not only hurts us, but hurts Jesus as well.  Though He lovingly always points us in the right direction, we have free will to choose right or wrong for ourselves.  Regardless of what we choose, His love for us never waivers.  Mary Magdalene embraced Jesus and allowed herself to be immersed in His grace, allowing herself to be transformed by the power of His love.  Rather than hiding from her sin in shame, she ran to Jesus seeking forgiveness and conversion.  How freeing this can be if only we let go of our fear!
 
Mary Magdalene is a great example to us of humility and love because she allowed Jesus to forgive her and bless her with new life.  Her love shown through not only for Jesus, but for herself as well.  Mary recognized her own dignity by respecting and accepting that she was beautifully made in God’s image and likeness.  This is the beauty I attempted to capture in my most recent painting, The Conversion of Mary Magdalene.  The symbol of Jesus’ divinity is shown in His red robe as he embraces Mary in her pain.  You can feel Mary finally resting in Jesus' grace and love.  The lilies in the painting represent Mary’s new purity in Christ.  The white color signifies peace, hope and purity, all virtues given to her in a new life in Christ.  Although we are not certain that Mary Magdalene is the “Mary” who washed Jesus’ feet the night before his crucifixion, we can speculate that she possibly might have been the one due to her great love for Jesus and His great love for her.  The basin in the painting symbolizes the perfumed oil Mary used to wipe the feet of Jesus with her hair.  The brown background symbolizes both Jesus and Mary Magdalene’s earthly existence.  May we all follow the example of Mary Magdalene and run to Jesus, clinging to Him and allowing Him to wipe away all our tears and hurts. 

Prints available for purchase.   

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Pondering the Beauty of Suffering
 
Via Pulchritudinis
 
By Sharon Clossick

I realize the sensitivity to the topic of suffering.  This is a very difficult subject due to the different degrees of suffering people experience.  Although I certainly have had a fair share of very difficult times in life, I realize that it does not compare to horrific and tragic suffering that many people endure.  This writing is focused on our everyday natural challenges in life.  Please know that this is written from my heart based on my own experiences.
 
 
 
Recently, on a very warm 50-degree day while driving down South Road, I noticed how the trees, brush, and grass looked exceptionally brown and dreary.  Maybe this was because it was still February and though that day felt like spring was in the air, nature still had the look of winter.  The trees looked lifeless, which of course is very typical for this time of year.  I looked up and reflected on the leafless trees aligning the street and reminisced how, in the summertime they are full and lush.  During the summer months on certain sections of the road, the tips of the tree branches meet the tips of the trees on the other side of the street, creating an arch, and as you drive down the road you can’t help but notice the beauty.  It’s so lovely and has always been one of my favorite roads, especially because for twenty-five years, this was where we lived before moving to Narragansett.    
 
As I looked further up at the trees, I noticed the tips of the bare branches against the wintery blue sky and noticed the sun shining down on them.  I couldn’t help but focus on that warm spring feeling.  For sure, a sign of hope.  I reflected on how different the street looks in winter versus the summer.  As I reflected on this glimmer of hope, I realized how necessary hope is for us in times of suffering.  I had a moment of realization of how important it is for us to always know that God is with us.  Though His presence is veiled, and we cannot see God, there are times when we know in our hearts that He is with us.  This “hope” I was feeling spoke to me in a different way that day because it was elicited by the wintery scene contrasted by the springlike feel.  Winter symbolizing suffering and the springlike feel, our hope.  This hope I thought about wasn’t the hope we get from a joyous occasion like a wedding or some other happy life event.  This was a hope born from pain, from times of struggle.  We all know that suffering is very ugly and suffering in itself is evil, but suffering transcended by hope is very beautiful.  How amazing it is that art has a way of beautifully expressing this mystery. 
 
As I mentioned in my first blog, in the Spirit of the Liturgy, Pope Benedict XVI speaks about three main figurative styles of art that the Catholic church emphasizes as examples of true liturgical tradition.  These styles are the Iconographic, the Gothic and the Baroque.  In the 17th century, during the counter reformation, the Baroque movement was created to bring people back to the faith and to the church again. 

​The Baroque style focuses on suffering transcended by hope.  The use of light symbolizes hope in the redemption of Christ and the use of darks and shadow symbolize suffering and evil in our fallen world.  In the modern world today, we seemed to have lost a sense of the meaning of suffering.  What is this all about and how can we find meaning again? 
 
I recently attended a funeral for a friend, Deacon Kevin.  To clarify, he was much closer to my husband, and I knew him more through their friendship.  For the last two and a half years, my husband, Joe, who is also a deacon, administered communion to him at his home because Kevin was housebound due to Parkinson’s disease.  On a handful of occasions, I accompanied Joe on his Sunday visits.  We visited with both Deacon Kevin and his wife, Ann.  Although I wish I was able to visit more often, our hectic schedules didn’t allow for this, as my husband and I often “conquer and divide” when we have multiple responsibilities and family commitments.  But the times I was able to visit and get to know Kevin and Ann were very special to me.  I enjoyed sitting around their table and exchanging a little about each of our lives.  Deacon Kevin’s wife would make sure he was settled in his wheelchair at the table before we arrived.  Ann always greeted us at the door with such warmth and affection.  After Joe administered communion, we would chat.  Deacon Kevin couldn’t speak easily due to his illness, so Ann often patiently spoke on his behalf.  I learned that this beautiful couple had six children and that Kevin, before his illness was a graphic designer and an artist.  I was intrigued by this as we share this common connection of being artists.  As I watched Kevin struggle to form his words, I also noticed how he no longer had use of his hands.  The disease had deteriorated the muscles, so they were now turned inward.  On one of my visits, it dawned on me that so much had been taken away from Kevin.  There was so much in his life that he had to surrender and succumb to, and it particularly stood out to me that there had to be a time when he realized that he no longer could paint.  Creating art is a powerful means of expression and often a form of prayer for many artists.  To be told that you can no longer express yourself in this capacity has to be devastating.  The thought of this is tragic to me and I can’t imagine being faced with such a sacrifice.  It is truly a suffering.  Yet I saw such peace and a certain hope in Christ that shown through in Kevin.  I was struck by the joy Kevin eluded during our visits and I often left their home reflecting on how he could get to this point of such acceptance.  I also noticed how joyful and loving his wife Ann was. There was a beauty I encountered during those visits that has left a permanent mark of peace and awe on my heart. 
 
Though we only knew Kevin for the last couple of years of his life, we learned that he struggled with Parkinson’s for twenty-two years.  The last few weeks of his life, he deteriorated quickly and on February 20th left this world to go home to God.  I was honored to attend Deacon Kevin’s funeral.  There is something about funerals I find so beautiful, and in a strange way feel closer to God during these times.  Pondering this thought, I realize that funerals have a way of awaking all our senses.  The smell of incense, the sound of the beautiful musical hymns we are so familiar with, the sight of the beautiful clergy vestments and stained-glass windows, and the comforting Words of God.  My heart is raised to the Lord and though my heart is filled with sorrow for the loss of our loved one, I experience a mystery of gladness for being human.  I am somehow brought out of myself and faced with the realization of my own mortality.  We will all face the sting of death someday but somehow there is a comfort in knowing that we are not alone in this.  The feeling is so raw and it’s in these moments I realize that all that matters in life is to know love. 
 
I often reflect and wonder if and when, I am ever faced with such a tragic illness - will I be accepting of what God is asking me to sacrifice and surrender.  This is a great lesson in understanding that our dignity does not lie in “doing”, but rather in “being”.  Our culture and society have lost the concept of this understanding.  We define ourselves by what we have and by what we can do, rather than understand that it is simply enough to just “be”.  God doesn’t care about all we possess and accomplish.  We shouldn’t define ourselves by our usefulness.  Every human soul has dignity whether we can or can’t accomplish or obtain. 
 
But how is it that we really come to know this understanding?   How did Kevin come to accept the dignity of his “being” and find hope in Christ?  It may have taken years of interior struggle for him, we don’t know.  But what we must understand is that we will never be able to experience hope until we allow God into our suffering.  Often, we are self-reliant, focusing on our own efforts to muddle through.  We hold onto our suffering, struggling to make sense of the pain within us.  We try and “think” our way through the pain and hurt, figuring out ways of relieving ourselves, on how we can resolve whatever situation is causing the pain.  Ultimately, self-reliance without God leads to despair.  Despair is suffering without meaning.
 
The other option is to open our hearts to God in complete humility, letting him enter into the pain we are experiencing.  I do not say this lightly.  Our natural tendency is to take matters into our own hands. At least this is what I’ve always defaulted to in past experiences.  But what I’ve learned in recent years, in my older age, is the freedom we experience when giving our suffering over to God.  Another way of describing this would be to “surrender” our pain and hurt.  But to surrender is only part of what Jesus is calling us too.  By “opening” our hearts, we are not only surrendering, but allowing God into the pain.  It’s in a place of poverty where we open our wounds and allow God to fill our hearts.  Many times, this is where faith is born.  We are inviting Him to “enter into” the suffering, uniting our suffering with His.  By doing this, we can hopefully discover some meaning in what God is asking us to endure. 
 
Like the Apostle Peter, we put out into deep water and lower our nets, laying ourselves down in our poverty, clinging to God.  Cooperating with God’s grace allows God to begin to work in our lives in ways that we might have never known if left up to us.  How much more powerful this is!  Situations we previously tried to control by our own efforts are now left up to God.  If we are docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we are giving God full control.  Our will is aligned with His will and our insight sharper and clearer.  We are led more by divine grace rather than by human effort. 
 
Jesus wants our hearts.  He wants our every desire, our every need, and even our every pain and hurt.  By opening our hearts and inviting God to work in us and in the pain, we begin to see with new eyes and hear with new ears.  “Those with ears ought to hear” (Matthew 13:1-9).  God begins to move in and around us.  And somehow in our suffering, we begin to see a beauty that can’t be explained.  God wants us to be happy.  He doesn’t desire for us to be unhappy.  And although God may not relieve our suffering and our circumstances might not change, ultimately if we trust in the will of God, we will have a peace within us that surpasses all understanding.
 
Suffering is a mystery and if we allow God into this mystery, we may be able to live with a little less fear.  Christ suffered first and for us and the closer we are to Christ and his passion, the more we can recognize beauty.  Because of this mystery, we will never fully understand why there is suffering in our world, and although God doesn’t cause suffering, He often allows it to bring about a spiritual growth and ultimately, love.  It’s in our response, our free choice, as to how we respond to the suffering placed before us.  Our lives can be so unpredictable but the more we trust, perhaps the more we can live out our deepest longing, that is, to give and receive love.  You can’t know beauty without knowing suffering.  Beauty awakens our hearts to the splendor of being alive and the desire to know reality in its fullness and complexity. How important it is to ponder the crucifixion before the resurrection.  We must pass through the sorrows to get to the Glory.  (Margarita Mooney Clayton, Blog - Death is a Veil – and Love Is Eternal)
 
As I looked at the bare branches of the treetops lining South Road pointing upward towards the blue sky and reaching for the sun, it made me think that even all of creation yearns for this hope.  As the sun shines down on a flower, we watch it open to its fullest.  God wants to shine his life on us, if only we open our hearts.  God is life-giving and when we allow our hearts to experience this openness, we are transformed into what He created us to be.  During this Lenten season let our focus be on the Passion and suffering of Christ who leads the way to true love.  It is here where we will experience a hope and beauty that can only be found in God.

​ISN’T IT INTERESTING, how when we see something that is beautiful we somehow know it deep in our soul, more so than from pure intellect.  Our heads can tell us that something is beautiful, and if we allow ourselves, our hearts can enter more deeply into the mystery of this beauty.  How do we come to recognize beauty and how do we make the distinction between something that is beautiful versus something that is just plain ugly?  Why are we moved in different ways?
 
I love to ponder these questions, and as an artist I am intrigued by beauty and what it is that moves our souls.  If we stop to reflect on this, we begin to realize that there is a certain mystery in beauty, a certain depth of “something” that we can’t quite explain or understand.  This mystery that we experience, yet can’t quite describe, comes from the depth of our hearts.  For some, maybe it’s a sunset or the calming ocean.  For many of us who are blessed to live by the water, we are privileged to experience the beauty of nature on a daily basis.  This past year I made it a point to walk the wall in the Narragansett Pier for some much-needed reflection time.  For me, the water calls my soul and it’s there that I experience a profound beauty.  Other types of beauty which move me are paintings from the great master’s or certain kinds of music.  If you’ve never heard of Paul Cardall, I highly encourage you to listen to his music!  I find that I can get my creative juices flowing if I listen to him while I paint. 
 
I recently encountered an experience of beauty one morning while driving to work.  I was running behind schedule and as I turned onto North Road in Kingston, I found myself behind a school bus with its flashing lights slowing down to pick up a young kindergartener.  My gut reaction was “Ugh, I don’t have time for this right now!”.  As I sat there impatiently, I watched the school bus monitor get out and walk around to meet the child and her family.  As she walked towards the family, I saw a beautiful young couple holding their child’s hand.  Mom was clearly pregnant and expecting baby number two, and dad was dressed in an army reserves uniform.  As they released their daughter’s hand over to the monitor’s, I saw the look on the parent's faces.  It’s as though they didn’t want to let go of their child’s hand.  As the bus drove off, I watched the dad wave to his daughter until the bus was out of sight.  Watching this scene unfold before me was incredibly moving because I could see the pure love radiating from this family.  It was so beautiful that I couldn’t hold back my tears. What a gift for me to witness the pure love of a new and growing family.  Beauty expresses itself in many ways and as I slowly finished the remaining part of my commute, I heard God whisper to me that beauty can only be found when we still our hearts.  We will never be able to recognize what is truly beautiful in this life if we don’t have the eyes to see and the ears to hear.  The world will always be swirling in high-speed motion, and it is up to us to slow down if we want to experience the gift of beauty.  What started my workday as a complete inconvenience, ended as the greatest blessing of my day. 
 
So, what is all this about?  Do we recognize beauty in our lives?  The Master of Sacred Arts program I am currently enrolled in is helping me realize the importance of having beauty in my life as an everyday occurrence.  We can often become dried up in the mundane routine of schedule and responsibilities, that we begin to walk around as though we were lifeless zombies.  Though we must always fulfill our duties, we also need to recognize that within the busyness of our days, there is something much more beyond the to-do lists and the next social media posts. 
 
John Paul II, in his Theology of the Body, talks about the experience of “eros”.  Yes, you are correct, you read it right.  I always associated the word “eros” with having a negative connotation and related it to disordered desires.  But what I learned through John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, is that we are all made with this desire of “eros”.  The Greeks describe eros as a deep, restless yearning we feel for love, for union, and for fulfillment.  In the beginning, before original sin entered the world, man and woman experienced original innocence.  Our desires were pure and designed in an ordered sense for what is true, good, and beautiful.  But because of our fallen nature, we now twist this “eros” and often look to fill our strongest desires of the human heart in ways that are not always good and pure.  But the good news is, we all have the echo of original innocence from the beginning when man and woman experienced total communion with God in complete love and happiness.  In the depth of our being we all long for this complete union with God, for all that is true, good, and beautiful.  This is how we are designed.  So, when you are driving in the car and that favorite song comes on from when you were a teenager, and you feel your heart almost leap out of your chest, understand that this is the longing of your deepest heart’s desire, this is eros!  And this longing is for something much more than what can satisfy us in this world.  Christ promises us Redemption, to deliver us from our sins and to share in His divinity.  Until we are in complete union with Him, we will continue to yearn for something more.  This is the mystery of our souls.  I love the quote from C.S. Lewis, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”
 
Hence, beauty is a mystery.  This Beauty with a capital “B” is God, the One, True Beauty.  God is transcendent, He is “beyond”.  This is an objective truth.  Art that is true, good, and beautiful moves us beyond to something greater.  I believe that God is truly speaking to us through beauty.  The purpose of Christian art is to bring glory to God.  For Christian art to be good, it must reflect truth and be beautiful.  There can be no conflict.  I love this, because in a sense it gives an order and understanding on how to measure whether something is beautiful.  When our souls are lifted from something we see as beautiful, what is happening is that we are experiencing God’s presence in our lives.  Our souls are lifted, and we are brought to something greater than ourselves.  Experiencing beauty in our hearts gives us a hope that can’t be explained, and in our deepest longing, connects us to God.  In The Heart of the Gospel, it is stated that Pope Benedict XVI observed that authentic beauty “unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond.  If we acknowledge that beauty touches us intimately, that it wounds us, that it opens our eyes, then we rediscover the joy of seeing, of being able to grasp the profound meaning of our existence, the Mystery of which we are part” (address November 21, 2009). 
 
Works of art, whether it be nature, music, visual art, etc., elicits a response from us.  Therefore, beauty is also subjective.  This is because of the nature of our hearts and the experiences we bring to it from life.  For example, the painting below is one of my favorites.

​"THE INCARNATION"

16 x 20"
Oil on Canvas


THE INCARNATION is the great event where Christ entered into our humanity.  Mary's blue in her robe and her halo represents her humanity. Christ's red in His halo represents His divinity, as Mary's red clothing symbolizes a share of her divinity in Christ. The brown background symbolizes the earthly existence of both Christ and Mary.

WELCOME to my first blog.  Many of you have known me for a long time because I’ve shared my art with you throughout the years as you walked alongside in support of my endeavors.  I am grateful to you for walking this journey with me because, without your support and appreciation, I would not be able to continue doing what I love.  Creating art is extremely fulfilling for me.  And what’s even more fulfilling, is sharing my created work with others.  The purpose of art, especially Christian art, is to move the soul and to bring the viewer beyond to something greater than themselves.  So beautiful art should be received and for this reason art, if true, good, and beautiful, must be shared.  Throughout the years I shared much of my soul through the expression of art.  This is very personal and at times extremely vulnerable.  An artist’s soul can be sensitive and many times, as artists, we put our hearts out in trust if we believe deeply in what we are creating.  Although I am still working a day job (not quite at the age of retirement!), I am continuing to pursue my love of art but in a more meaningful and serious way.  I am ready to step it up, so to say, setting myself on a more focused path.  Before I explain, let me back up a bit.
 
As many of you probably realize, I developed a love of beauty and art from a very early age.  I often found myself deep in thought, contemplating life and pondering the questions of why and how I was here and why I existed.  I was attracted to all that was true, good, and beautiful.  I experienced a deepness – a yearning that I could never quite understand.  As I grew older, I continued to express myself through various mediums and expressions of art and finished college with a concentration in Fine Art, simply for the love of it.  While raising my four children, I dabbled in and out of various mediums, crafts, etc. but never fully engaged myself due to the hectic schedule of taking care of a large family.  But in 2005, I was fortunate to go on a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, Italy with my local parish, along with 48 pilgrims.  Believe it or not, it was the first time I traveled alone without my husband and children after many years!  While in Rome I was submerged in beautiful sacred art.  I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the paintings of the Old Master’s I had studied back in my college years.  I felt as though I had died and gone to heaven.  Reflecting on that time, I realize now that God was setting me on the path He wanted for me even back then!  In the Spirit of the Liturgy, Pope Benedict XVI speaks about three main figurative styles of art that the Catholic church emphasizes as examples of true liturgical tradition.  These styles are the Iconographic, the Gothic and the Baroque (more on these styles in future blogs).  Experiencing these magnificent pieces of works in person was like an explosion of beauty!  The graces received were so numerous that I am still receiving them to this day.
 
Fast forward to the year 2022 and here I am many years later continuing the pursuit of art.  As many of you are aware, I created numerous pieces of religious works over the years, a few even for churches, which I am humbly grateful for.  Though I was fulfilled in my expression of what I called “religious art”, I still felt something was missing, but could not pinpoint exactly what it was.  I didn’t seem to have a set path that I could confidently follow.  I was searching for something I knew God was calling me to, but God was not yet ready to reveal.  I was busy raising children, focusing on the needs of my family, and supporting my husband as he studied to become a deacon.  My focus was on my vocation as wife and mother, yet deep down I knew God was calling me to another vocation within my vocation. 
 
Through a very moving and meaningful experience this past year, I was blessed to learn about the Theology of the Body through the TOB International Symposia (https://www.tobinternationalsymposia.com/).  The Theology of the Body is Pope John Paul II’s text divided into a compilation of 129 Wednesday audiences presented during the years of 1979 to 1984.  The basic principle and meaning of the Theology of the Body is John Paul’s teaching of an adequate anthropology, of what it means to be human and how to live a life that will bring true happiness.  It is basically an in-depth study of the meaning of life.  This experience profoundly touched my life and tapped deep into my heart.  It’s as if I heard God speaking to me saying that He was ready to reveal what I have been long since yearning for.  The TOB International Symposia led me to finding the Master of Sacred Arts – The Theology of the Body and the New Evangelization program through Pontifex University.  I entered this program this past May and will be pursuing a Master of Sacred Arts degree over the next few years.  God is showing me a path for the opportunity to go deeper in my life, particularly through my art and through gaining a knowledge of sacred art and theology.  I discovered that this was the missing piece.  To have the opportunity in gaining the knowledge of our beautiful Catholic faith and to have an academic, and a very spiritual understanding of Theology, particularly Pope John Paul II’s teaching of the Theology of the Body, will profoundly impact how I create sacred art moving forward.  This program is the bridge connecting my love for the Catholic faith and my love for beauty and art.   You cannot have Truth without beauty and beauty without Truth.  This desire to follow the path of via pulchritudinis (the Way of Beauty) is what I believe God is calling me too.  
 
You may be wondering, what is the purpose of this blog?  My hope is to share with you some of the beautiful teachings from this Master of Sacred Arts program.  I wish to journey together in discovering what beauty and Truth are and how we can come to recognize beauty more often in our lives.  I hope to learn and share how we can understand how our faith shapes our ideas of beauty and show how strongly they are connected.  I invite you to walk with me on this journey and along the way, I wish to create more beautiful art.  My efforts will be focused on Sacred and Devotional art, but I also desire to continue to create mundane art (art that is not meant for the liturgy).  Art, whether it be sacred, devotional, or mundane; if true, good, and beautiful can touch the heart and lead us to God.  

The above painting, "The Incarnation", is my latest creation.  I feel very strongly that our Lady wanted this painting right at this time.  It's only within the last few weeks that the idea came to mind to paint her, and for me, it is very rare for a painting to come together this easily in this quick amount of time, having the final brush strokes completed on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  No accident!  As I gaze upon Our Lady, I can't help but ponder what she felt in her heart when she held the baby Jesus in her arms.  At the Annunciation when Mary gave her great "YES" to the angel Gabriel, she didn't know how the story would end.  She didn't understand the great mystery unfolding before her.  We too don't know what direction our lives will take when we say "yes" to the Lord.  This takes great trust and humility to give our lives over and for me, I often do this kicking and screaming!  But truly there has never been a time when the Lord has disappointed.  My "yes" to God in following Him as I take this huge leap of faith in the Master's program is honestly very scary, and I've had a few times of true doubt, but as I come back to prayer and ask God to show me the way, He always seems to point me back in this same direction.  My choices are either, ignore what God is calling me to do, or simply just do it!  This time around, I'm choosing the latter and so far it's been a wild ride full of exciting experiences. 

During this Advent season as I reflect on the meaning of that great night when Christ entered into our humanity, I am in complete awe that He did this out of pure love.  He loved me so much to make himself as small as me.  And He did this for each and every one of us.  This is certainly someone we can trust with our lives each and every day.  I am truly grateful for all the blessings in my life and for all of you who have touched my life in any way, great or small. I wish you a beautiful and reflective remaining Advent Season and a very Merry Christmas filled with abundant blessings.

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*If you are interested in my new painting, "The Incarnation", I have prints in sizes 8 x 10" and 11 x 14", and prayer cards available for purchase.  See my "Products and Services Page" and please contact me for your order.