Our Lady of Guadalupe 2

My blank board.

The first sketch of our Lady's face.

The sketch is rough.

Starting to add shade to the whole drawing.

Yesterday evening I decided to work on a project that I have been hoping to work on for a while - a cardboard Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Last night I finished the project.  My medium is charcoal and pastel.  A Lithuanian room-mate of mine first introduced me to this highly affordable form of art, and I have been hooked ever since.

It was fitting that I started this at the beginning of Lent, since my medium was mostly ashes (not blessed, of course!), and the board I used is mere trash, leftover from the package for a freezer we purchased a few years ago.  The words "Remember man that you are dust and into dust you shall return," kept popping through my head, reminding me of the shortness of life, and how important it is to be on God's side and doing His work while we are still on Earth.

I started out sketching our Lady on the board, added shading, and small bits of color where I saw fit.  And then?  Mere ashes and trash are transformed into a beautiful image of holiness.  May God so transform us sinful men, especially during this time of Fast.   

Working on shading the whole piece.

Placed tape strategically on board so as to have a frame and to know where to cut down the drawing.

The finished piece.

 

Easter Eggs 4 - Lambs

Happy Ash Wednesday and start of Lent to you Roman Catholics, and blessings to you Byzantines, who have already been in the Fast for the last two days. 

Here are the lamb eggs.  As with the chicken, the lamb also symbolizes Christ.  In Revelation, John sees a slain Lamb on the throne of God, a Lamb Who is is now alive.  The angels say: “Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”   

How amazing that we have a God Who was willing to undergo violent death in order to save us.  Praise and glory to our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Our Lady, Mother of Sweet Sorrow II

 

I took a quick break from eggs.  I found an advertisement for an art show in Estes Park and decided to apply.  I wanted four paintings, however, and since I enjoyed doing the Our Lady, Mother of Sweet Sorrow so much, I decided to do another, though with some slight variations.  I did this one within two days (thanks to the tremendous support of my husband). Our Lady is holding her Baby as close as possible, and thus, the position of her legs.  How great it is to be a mother!