Christ Child by Fra Angelico

On December 23, 2011October 2, 2020 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Catholicism, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Images of the Infant Jesus, Jesus Christ, New Evangelization, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art1 Comment

To all the friends, followers, and members of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts,

We wish you all a very Merry and Holy Christmas Season and a grace filled New Year! May the blessings of the child Jesus and the adult Savior remain with you, and your loved ones, throughout the coming months.

We thank you so very much for your support, advice, and participation, and we look forward to sharing new artistic adventures with you during the next year! Thanks again for all that you have done to make the Institute meaningful and helpful in the promotion of the sacred arts and in the evangelization of the truth, goodness, and beauty of God, His angels, and His saints.

Warm regards, Deacon Paul and Jackie Iacono

This image is an extreme close-up of a painting of the Madonna and Child Jesus with assorted saints painted by Fra Angelico in Florence during the early 15th century.

Five Days Before Christmas: A Unique Story About The Graciousness of God

On December 20, 2011December 20, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Artists, Beauty, Beauty built on Gospel Values, Catholic Art, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christianity, Mary, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Images, Spirituality, stone and glass art, UncategorizedLeave a comment

A very clear narrative greeted us in yesterday morning’s Gospel by St. Luke. He tells us that both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were both righteous before God: walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord – they were blameless; but they have no child. Elizabeth was barren and both were elderly. We read of Zechariah silently bringing his heavy heart before the Lord – even after all those years – it was still burdened with disappointment. The couple probably remembered Psalm 112 which says:

“Happy the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in his commands. His sons will be powerful on earth; the children of the upright are blessed.”

Zechariah was a priest, and on that day – by lot – it was his turn to enter the chamber within the Temple called the Holy Place and burn incense on the special altar. The Holy Place was a small chamber that led to the Holy of Holies, which housed the Ark of the Covenant.

For whatever reason, Zechariah that morning carried his disappointment with him into the Holy Place; and while he was there the archangel, Gabriel, appeared on the right side of the Altar of Incense. Gabriel tells Zechariah not to be afraid and that his prayer was heard before the throne of God. Gabriel continues with the joyous news that Elizabeth will bear a son, and that he will be called John – which in Hebrew means – “the Lord is gracious.” This child will grow and be great before the Lord, and even from his mother’s womb – he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

But, in a typically human way, Zechariah questions the archangel’s announcement. His query must have been different in tone. It must have had the typical masculine attitude of “Are you kidding me!” Zechariah’s tenor makes Gabriel, and possibly God, indignant – and Zechariah is struck speechless for his insolence.

In Scripture, few lines later, we see Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. She questions him, too, as “How can this be since I do not know man?” But Gabriel does not strike her speechless. We have to be struck by this difference. What does it teach us?

It is clear that God knows our hearts. God knew what was on Zechariah’s heart when he was in the Holy Place. Zechariah does not trust the message or the messenger, and by inference – he does not trust God. God knows his heart; and disciplines this good man. Like Zechariah, we, too, may disbelieve God. In our sophistication or position in life we may say “Well that’s fine, but, the Scriptures don’t apply to our situation, or this specific teaching was acceptable years ago, but, too much time has passed and it doesn’t apply to my problems. Remember, the Gospel says that Zechariah and his wife were good and righteous people. It was mentioned that he kept all the Commandments and ordinances. Yet, when his big moment comes – where is all that goodness and righteousness? It might still be there in his heart, but, there was also a pocket of doubt – a crevice of skepticism – that was significant enough for him, as a priest of the Almighty God, to be struck speechless in punishment for not trusting Gabriel’s message.

As sacred artists, as Christians, this Gospel asks us to stop, and check our souls in this last week of Advent. It asks us how patient, confident, and trusting have we been of the Lord’s message to our hearts, and have we allowed this to carry over into our actions?

Zechariah learned the hard way that when the Lord prepares us for His coming He desires us to be alive, awake, and alert to His call and to trust His message. So, our prayer this week should echo that of Zechariah, who in the months of speechless waiting, most likely in his mental prayer said, “Lord, I believe; cleanse me of my disbelief. Lord, I trust, heal me of my distrust;” and it should also echo that of Mary – who in humility and expectation waited patiently for the graciousness of the Lord to take fruit in her womb.

Thanks to angels-angelology.com for stained glass window image.

Sacred Photography – A Shot That Will Rock Your Soul

On December 14, 2011December 14, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Artists, Beauty, Catholic Art, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christian Spirituality, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Photography, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Sacred Photography1 Comment

The following photograph haunts my mind.

I found it on the blog (http://soulblindministry.com/2011/12/12/necessity/) of an artist who had a horrific life changing experience and has now turned his life, and possibly his art, over to Christ.

The photo stopped me cold.

But you say, these shoppers could be wonderful, God fearing, neighbor loving people.

True enough.

Then, why do you judge them?

I don’t.

It’s the entire photograph.

It makes me judge, and question, myself – in relation to God and my neighbor.

This is truly one of the functions of the sacred arts.

A Beautiful Pregnant Young Woman And Her Message To A Weary World

On December 12, 2011December 12, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Beauty, Beauty built on Gospel Values, Catholic Devotions, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Mary, Roman Catholic, Sacred Art, Spirituality, The Blessed Virgin MaryLeave a comment

Today’s feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of all the Americas, recalls the apparition of our Blessed Mother on the hill of Tepeyac in present day Mexico City from December 9^th through the 12^th in the year 1531. Guadalupe is the Spanish translation of the Aztec phrase that Juan Diego heard Mary associate herself with – the name, interestingly, in Aztec means “she will crush the serpent of stone.”

In the same year – 1531 – thousands of miles away in what today we call Germany – Martin Luther was pro- claiming his doctrine of protest and rebellion from the Catholic faith. As Martin Luther was convincing millions of Catholics to leave the faith, our Blessed Mother, through the miraculous image that appeared on Juan Diego’s tilma, convinces millions of Native Americans to convert to the faith.

As the Protestant rebellion was tearing down millennia of Church theology and sacred tradition, Our Lady was building up the understanding of both the Spanish clergy in Mexico and the Native American population, of the love of God and the assurance of her protection.

Our Lady spoke to Juan Diego in his native dialect. She identified herself and said: “Juanito, the humblest of my children, know and understand that I am the ever virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live. It is my ardent desire that a church be erected here so that in it I can show and bestow my love, compassion, help, and protection to all who inhabit this land and to those others who love me, that they might call upon and confide in me. Go to the Bishop of Mexico to make known to him what I greatly desire. Go and put all your efforts into this.”(1)

Of course you probably know the rest of the story. The Bishop is told, disbelieves Juan Diego, the bishop asks for a sign, Juan Diego reports back to Mary and is told by her to cut the Castilian roses that are growing and put them in his poncho which is called a tilma. The tilma is opened in front of the Bishop and other witnesses, the roses fall out, and the miraculous image of Our Lady appears on the tilma. But is this story true? What are the facts that surround it?

Our Lady of Guadalupe is honored as a feast throughout the Americas on this day because of the miraculous events associated with this particular three-day apparition, a very few being:

1) The extraordinary conversion of multi-millions of Native Americans, and the Aztecs in particular, who, as a blood thirsty civilization, were known to kill as many as 20,000 human beings in one day to appease the blood lust of their primary god.

2) The roses that Juan Diego cut were native of Damascus, Syria, and did grow in Spain, but were unknown in Mexico at that time.

3) The tilma, or poncho, that Juan Diego wore was made of the agave fibers traditionally used by the Native Americans. These fibers were a natural substance that should have deteriorated within 35 years, and yet, today, the 480^th anniversary of the event – this tilma is still in excellent condition.

4) Through scientific analysis done over the last forty years, it has been determined that the pigments used on the tilma are not of natural or man-made material, and there is no glue or sizing on the tilma to fix the pigment in place. Plus the colorization or iridescence of the image on this “icon not made with human hands” would not have been able to be produced by a human artist in the 16th century. This iridescent effect would have been seen only in nature.

5) Our Lady is represented in the colors and dress of a pregnant Aztec princess. Modern astronomical research has shown that the stars on Our Lady’s image are in the configuration of the stars in the heavens on the nights of the apparition in 1531. Most remarkably, a microscopic analysis of Our Lady’s eyes was completed by Peruvian engineer and optical scientist Dr. Jose Aste Tonsmann (who trained at Cornell University and worked at IBM). He magnified the iris of the Virgin’s eyes 2,500 times and, through mathematical and optical calculations, was able to identify the witnesses of the Guadalupan miracle at the moment Juan Diego unfurled his tilma before the bishop and other witnesses [the bishop was Juan de Zumarraga, the Franciscan bishop of Mexico City.] (2)

But most importantly, these few miraculous facts about the icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe, do not stress the key issues of this apparition.

You see, Our Lady came to the Mexican people – as she comes to us this Advent season – as a pregnant young woman who is promoting life and her protection – not only for her unborn child – but for all of us.

Our Lady calls to us through this icon to stress that she loves us, has compassion for us, sees our tears, and desires to offer us her love and comfort. As the Mother of the incarnate Son of God she also points to her Son, and desires a church to be built so He can be properly worshipped and so she can be there to assist us in our prayers to God.

Mary has always reminded us that He is the One, True, All Powerful God who desires our love and respect. She also stresses that she is always here to provide her protection.

I commend to you to do some research this week on this magnificent Church approved apparition which indicates the Lord’s and Our Lady’s love for us. How blessed we are to have the spiritual motherhood of Mary, and the Fatherhood of the One True God.

Footnotes and sites to investigate for more information:

(1) From a report by Don Antonio Valeriano, a Native American author of the 16th century; as published in the Supplement of the New Feasts and Memorials for the General Roman Calendar – The Liturgy of the Hours.

(2) “Science Sees What Mary Saw From Juan Diego’s Tilma” Zenit News Service, 2001.

Zenit News Agency. Science Stunned by Virgin of Guadalupe’s Eyes. 1/14/2001

http://www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/index.html

The Joy Filled Christian – A Sermon on Survival in the Face of Tribulation

On December 10, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Beauty, Catholic Spirituality, Catholicism, Christian Spirituality, Christianity, Gospel Reflections, Jesus Christ, Joy, New Evangelization, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Prayer, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Beliefs, Spirituality5 Comments

Today is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “Rejoice!” The Church has us visualize this by the rose colored candle in the Advent wreath and the rose colored vestments. Gaudete Sunday appears at the midpoint of the Advent season, and we pause to rejoice and reflect on the marvelous work of God and His plan of salvation for us.

Our readings show us Isaiah speaking of the splendid work of God – – St. Paul telling us to “give thanks and rejoice always,” not just in good times, but in all circumstances, and our Gospel describes St. John the Baptist testifying that the Light of the World would soon begin His ministry.

But today’s reading from St. Paul may have given you pause and trouble: you may say: “You mean I’m to rejoice even if I have just lost my job, even if corporate and governmental corruption has destroyed my retirement income, even if I am mourning a deceased loved one, even if my husband, wife, or child is sick, or has abandoned me, or wants nothing to do with me?

Remarkably, St. Paul’s message is “Yes, give thanks, and rejoice!”

Although, let’s be careful, he is not saying for us to put on blinders and act like Pollyanna. St. Paul knew what trouble was. He had plenty of trials to deal with, his letters to the various churches of Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy are filled with numerous personal problems and tribulations.

Yet, through all of that, he kept his vision focused firmly on Jesus. It was that mental memory of who Jesus was, what He preached, how He suffered and died; and the truth that was well known to St. Paul and many others that Jesus the Word of God and the Light of the World had resurrected from the dead and had appeared to him, face to face, mind to mind, to express His love for those Paul was persecuting, and to ask him to stop, and to follow Him as Lord.

It is this focus, this trust, this faith that enabled St. Paul to deal with his problems.

It is this focus, this trust, this faith that enabled him to maintain joy in the knowledge that his eternal salvation was certain through faith in Jesus Christ.

St. Paul’s focus was on his eternal salvation through Jesus – not on the trials of this world.

But how does St. Paul keep his focus?

You see, Paul links the ability to possess sincere joy with praying; because joy is a gift from God. It comes to us through His grace – it is a specific fruit of the Holy Spirit.

So, joy enters our world when we humble ourselves to receive God’s grace and see the real meaning of our life as a child of God – when we look at our own fragility and brokenness – and realize that we are not able to survive without the help of God.

Joy will come into our life when we realize that survival depends on our developing a prayer filled and Sacramental relationship with Christ – which leads to our being sanctified by His grace. This relationship can only occur when we seriously view our prayer life – and Christ’s Sacraments – through the eyes of a trusting and knowledgeable child – rather than that of a worldly wise adult.

We must be humble enough to start with daily traditional prayer; however, there will come a moment in which these prayers move us into a dialogue, a conversation with our Lord, and this is the heart of prayer. Saints Paul, John the Baptist, and Isaiah all spent time in deep conversation with God. It is through their prayer life that the gift of God’s joy was able to fill their hearts.

So on this Gaudete Sunday we remember that we are called to rejoice through prayer in the truth that, regardless of how dismal our personal circumstances, Jesus our Savior loves us – and will never abandon us.

Let us remember that our lives should be a testimony, not to sorrow, guilt, or fear, but to the mature trust and joy that delights in the knowledge that – by virtue of the saving power of Jesus Christ and His Sacramental grace – we are redeemed children of God, who with His grace and strength, can endure any tribulation.

The above is a sermon Deacon Paul O. Iacono gave at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Wakefield, Rhode Island on the weekend of December 10/11, 2011 Scriptural references referred to in this, the 3rd Sunday of Advent, were from Isaiah 61: 1-2, 10-11; 1st Thessalonians. 5: 16-24; John. 1: 6 -8, 19-28.

The Immaculate Conception – A Time To Reflect On The Meaning of Mary

On December 8, 2011December 8, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Beauty, Beauty built on Gospel Values, Catholic Art, Catholic Devotions, Catholicism, Gospel Reflections, Mary, New Evangelization of the Catholic Church, Religious Art, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholic Beliefs, Sacred Art, The Blessed Virgin Mary1 Comment

1) Mary’s Personal History

Tradition tells us that Mary was the daughter of Saints Joachim and Anne. They were devoted Jews who raised their child to be loyal and pure within the Jewish holy tradition. Mary was born within the royal line of King David and was betrothed and later married Joseph, a respected Jewish carpenter from Nazareth. Little is known of Mary’s day-to-day life other than the references to her in the Gospels. Those early references indicate that she was a loving, concerned, and devoted person. During her Son’s ministry she attended the wedding feast at Cana, was present at Jesus’ crucifixion, and was most likely with the Apostles at the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

2) Mary Prefigured in the Hebrew Scriptures

“The most famous Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah are Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14 and Micah 5:1-4. In all three prophecies the Mother of the Messiah plays a prominent role. “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” [Isaiah 7:10-14]. The name Immanuel in Hebrew means “God is with us.”

3) Mary as Mother and Saint

As the mother of Jesus, and the wife of Saint Joseph, Mary is the greatest saint. She is the model of faith, purity, and maternal devotion for all Christians. Mary is called the Blessed Virgin because she conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (this is part of the Mystery of the Incarnation). Saint Joseph is the foster father, not the biological father, of Jesus.

To become the mother of the Savior, Mary was “enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” (Lumen Gentium). Mary freely gave herself to God (confer Chapter 1 in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew), with complete trust even in the face of possible confusion about what was happening to her, and she freely responded and consented to God’s Will for her life. Mary’s “Yes” to God’s request that she become the Mother of the Incarnate Son of God, Jesus, enabled our Redemption to occur.

What is the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception? The Church teaches that Mary was conceived without sin. This is the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception which we celebrate today.

As The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 491, the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception means that “Mary was redeemed from the moment of her conception.” Pope Pius 9^th announced this Dogma when he said: “Mary was preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” This was accomplished through the power of God. He willed and acted so that Mary should be free from the stain of sin. Mary, as the angel Gabriel described is “full of grace”… “Hail Full of Grace / Rejoice Highly Favored One.” The Fathers of the Eastern Catholic Church also agree with this truth and verify it when they address the Mother of God as “the All-Holy” (Panagia) and celebrate her as free from any stain of sin.

An interesting article entitled Mary in Scripture explains “The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary is of great consequence for our understanding of Mary and Marian doctrine. The greeting has been variously translated as “Rejoice highly favored” and “Hail full of grace.” The object of the varied translations is the Greek word kecharitomene which refers to one who has been transformed by God’s grace. The word is used only one other time in the New Testament and that is in the Epistle to the Ephesians where Paul is addressing those who, by becoming Christians, are transformed by grace and receive the remission of sins. It is clearly significant that Mary is considered to already have been transformed by grace before the birth of Christ.” ( Confer the article “Mary in Scripture” at this site: http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/MARYINSC.htm

So, we see that God intervened and did not allow the stain of Original Sin to be passed to Mary. She – as the pure vessel – would receive the redemptive grace of God before the actual Redemption took place. This is logical and filled with common sense. Why would God the Father have His Incarnate Son be conceived in a woman who was tainted by the stain of Original Sin? As the Scriptures state – we do not put new wine into old wineskins. To make a commonplace analogy: would any self respecting surgeon, cook, artist, or musician use soiled instruments as they were healing, creating, or performing a masterpiece in their art?

The scholar Origen (AD 185 -254) made a very interesting observation, he said, “Because the angel greeted Mary with new expressions, which I have never encountered elsewhere in the Scriptures, it is necessary to comment on this. I do not, in fact, recall having read in any other place in the Sacred Scriptures these words: “Rejoice highly favored one, O Full of Grace. ” Neither of these expressions is ever addressed to a man: such a special greeting was reserved only for Mary.” (This quote is also taken from the article referenced above – “Mary in Scripture.”)

4) Some of the Titles of Mary

In the year AD 431, at the Council of Ephesus (attended by over 200 bishops from throughout Christendom), Mary was named Theotokos (the God Bearer) and a model of Christian living. “Mary is truly “Mother of God” since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God Himself.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd edition, #509).

She is called the New Eve because just as the original Eve brought sin and death into the world, Mary, as the bearer of spiritual life, brought Jesus (the New Adam) into the world. This provided the opportunity for grace, redemption, and salvation to impact and transform mankind for all eternity.

Since 1964, Mary has been honored as the Mother of the Church. She is called The Mother of the Church because through her free choice she cooperated with God’s plan to build a new “arc of salvation” (the Church) for His people.

By the eighth century (700’s) the Catholic Church celebrated the Annunciation (Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the Mother of the Savior), the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, the Assumption of Mary, and the Birthday of Mary. The Immaculate Conception became popular by the tenth century (900’s). Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Louis de Montfort, Pope John Paul II and many other saints of the Church have written extensively on Mary and her role in the Church and in the lives of individuals. The Church teaches that Mary was assumed into heaven with body and soul united. This is the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary.

5) Mary as Intercessor

Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and any of the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches DO NOT worship Mary. WORSHIP IS RESERVED FOR GOD ALONE. These Churches pay respect and reverence to Mary but never worship her.

The meaning of Our Blessed Mother Mary for us today is that, especially at this time in history, we must remember that she spiritually intercedes (pleads for mercy on behalf of us – the Church) before the throne of God. She does this in the same way that a mother would intercede with the father on behalf of her children. She loves us with the love of a true mother – for she sees not only our faults but our inherent goodness, too. Please God that we respond to the graces she has to offer us. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

This painting is by Sano di Pietro an early Renaissance painter. It is entitled Our Lady of Mercy and was painted in the 1440’s. Sano di Pietro was from Siena.

Stones and Sea Glass Can Tell A Story – The Art of Valerie Szlatenyi

On December 7, 2011December 7, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Artists, Beauty, Beauty built on Gospel Values, Catholic Art, Mosaics, Religious Art, Sacred Art, Sacred Artists, stone and glass artLeave a comment

One of the first St. Francis of Assisi parishioners to contact me to become a member of the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts is a wonderful lady and artist by the name of Valerie Szlatenyi. In our discussion she shared with me the work she had recently done for the Wakefield Baptist Church Memorial Garden here in Wakefield, Rhode Island. The work is a large garden mosaic casting in glass and stone. It appears in a quiet corner on the Baptist Church yard grounds.

Valerie described the process she went through as she decided upon her composition for the church yard. She mentioned “Like a voice talking,” an impression “came to me that a mosaic dove would be part of the garden.” At first she wasn’t sure how to do it but she resigned herself to forge ahead and listen to her Muse.

It wasn’t a simple task, details of the dove began to fill her mind, and she realized that careful planning was essential for it to be a success. Combining prayer, with the assistance of a friend, she made numerous visits to the Atlantic coastline a few miles away and began to reflect on the shapes of the various stones that she was collecting.

An assortment of shapes, sizes, and shades of color, all began to fill her mind with impression that some of the stones had characteristics of various human personalities in that some were worn, some scarred, and some smoothed with the passage of time. The rough and tumble of countless waves, sand particles, and fellow stones sliding, and sometimes crashing into them, forever changing their appearance.

Valerie’s meditative trips to the shore helped her formulate her design which required stones of various quality, texture, and definition. In some cases she could see that the stones were made better for all the tumultuous behavior they had undergone. New lines of grain were exposed: mica, colored granite, sedimentary rock, or various minerals long hidden after eons of time now exposed to the elements of sea, wind, and sand. It was as if the best of the stone had to be burnished by nature – and nature’s God – in order to show its true complexity; the life of the seashore mirroring the life of the land walkers.

Like Valerie, my wife and I enjoy walking the beautiful Rhode Island beaches that face the Atlantic Ocean. We are amazed at the lovely collection of small stones and rocks that at times appear after an especially violent storm. Our imaginations kick in when we come across broken, yet harmless, sea glass.

Colored glass has a unique role to play in the enjoyment level of many beachcombers. Especially along the Atlantic Coast we are probably all impressed by their similarity to jewels from the treasure chests of long dead pirates. They sit at the shoreline, under a clear blanket of water, shimmering in the afternoon sun – beckoning you to pick them up and rejoice at your good fortune.

Valerie decided to center her creative efforts on composing a mosaic dove for the local church’s healing and prayer garden. She explains that the dove has always been a symbol of peace, love, and purity. Expanding the symbolism out onto a theological level, we can say that the dove, as one of the symbols for the Holy Spirit, is a representation of God’s love and grace coming to those who participate in the Sacramental life of the Church. Her composition also asks us to find the three feathers on the neck of the dove. She explains that they represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit united in love. The heart of the dove expresses the never ending love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father – and united as the Holy Trinity – their love for us.

Well done Valerie, it is a beautiful and inspiring composition.

Just A Minute Mr. Disney – Let’s Take A Look At The Art Of Peter D. Spaine!

On December 3, 2011December 6, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Artists, Beauty, Catholic Art, Collage, Paper ArtLeave a comment

Another South Kingstown, Rhode Island artist, a fine gentleman by the name of Peter D. Spaine, contacted me this past summer when he read about the Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts in an early June issue of the RI Catholic newspaper. He invited me to his home where I met his lovely wife Marlene, and viewed his studio while discussing the goals of the Institute. We chatted about sacred iconography while I enjoyed his paintings and wood carvings.

Peter has a great studio space and it is filled with an assortment of his paintings that depict pirates, Civil War generals, cowboys, desperados, hobos, saloon hall sweeties, and characters from Moby Dick and Treasure Island.

While you will occasionally find a land or seascape, Peter is primarily concerned with portraying his fellow man and the extraordinarily different characters that humanity has produced.

Peter paints the stories that his mind develops and prods him into fleshing out in paint. He works in acrylic and occasionally in oil. He also showed me a number of pieces he created using cut pieces of colored paper to tell the story. He very generously gave me a gift of one of these paper “paintings.” I like it very much. It portrays one of my favorite characters from American literature – Captain Ahab – who with his harpoon at the ready is staring out to sea – waiting…

Spaine has created traditional paintings of seascapes, portraits of grandchildren, and the typical scenes many of us have painted; but the idea that stands out about him is, similar to Walt Disney, he uses paint the way a writer would use ink to express the stories that pop into his imagination. An example being a series of two themes that I found to be quite exceptional in their ability to focus my eye and move me into the action of the story itself.

The first is a scene from his series entitled “Little Italy” (seen below) which captures the action, personalities, sights and sounds of that New York neighborhood with its pushcarts and fresh produce at the turn of the last century. He has a similar series that portrays the Jewish Quarter of New York in the early 19th century, and the difficulty that a Jewish matron encounters when she thinks it is safe to go out on the front stoop and secretly have a quick cigarette. Each painting is filled with details that marvelously enhance your understanding of the story.

Peter is a unique and wonderful storyteller, as with all the members of the Fra Angelico Institute, I am priviledged to call him my colleague. As a member of the Institute, he is currently working on a series about St. Francis of Assisi, one of the Institute’s patrons. I have seen some preliminary drawings and I am very impressed.

The first two images below is one of Peter’s “paper paintings” – using colored paper to create the image. It is of the Captain Ahab scene that I described above. The third and fourth images are a collection from some of the paintings in Peter’s studio that he selected to bring to our Autumn meeting.

Shades of Monet – The Art of Eric Peter McLaughlin

On December 2, 2011December 2, 2011 By Deacon Paul O. IaconoIn Art, Beauty, Catholic Art, Catholicism, New Evangelization, Providence Art Club, Providence Watercolor Society, Sacred Artists, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Fra Angelico Institute for the Sacred Arts, as a gathering place for sacred artists to create, share, learn, and pray together about their creation of sacred art, has blossomed into a small organization that has met the spiritual and creative needs of a number of people within, and outside, of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. This post, and the next three posts, will continue to discuss and display some of the work that was displayed by member artists at our Autumn meeting. One of those artists is the talented Eric Peter McLaughlin.

Eric is an artist and a wordsmith. He contacted me last summer to learn more about the Institute and to become a member. Eric is a fascinating person. As a multidimensional artist he creates two and three dimensional works in a variety of media. He composes in stained glass, sculpture, and images in oil, watercolor, pastel, and acrylic. He also writes and teaches classes to all age groups and experience levels. His work has been shown at the Lowell Thomas Museum and the Monarch Gallery in Victor, Colorado, as well as the Providence Art Club and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society.

Eric has exhibited in over twenty shows and won awards in Michigan and Rhode Island for his stained glass and watercolor pieces. No stranger to the written word, Eric has written a newspaper column, newsletters, promotional literature, and a children’s play for a theater arts program. He currently is the author of his own blog entitled The Cranky Bachelor Blog, which can be read at http://the crankybachelor.blogspot.com. He describes it as the world seen through the lens of a “cranky bachelor.” It’s a fun read.

When Eric contacted me he expressed sincere interest in moving into the category of sacred art. He wanted me to see some of his work so we met and discussed what he was interested in and he also provided me with some samples of his art. At the recent Autumn meeting of the Fra Angelico Institute, he brought some beautiful works that show the level of skill that he has achieved.

Eric’s works bring me back to Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, and Pietro Annigoni. His shading and color choices are wonderful in their ability to set a mood and convey the beauty of a scene. He has much to teach us and we look forward to it.