Our Lady of Mariapocs, part 2

I started working on the image of Our Lady last night.  The colored image behind mine is the holy card from Hungary that I am working from.
I forgot how difficult it can be to be accurate to the original!  Part of  what makes this particular icon difficult is the disproportion in the faces of Our Lady and Jesus.  I want so much for my paintings to conform to common ideas of beauty - shapely eyes, small noses, big lips, heart shaped heads... But what is amazing is that this icon is perfect without such uniformity.  Our Lady doesn't need the "perfect" features to speak to the whole world and win the hearts of all her people.  And she is beautiful.
God can give me such confidence, if He wishes, and in the way He wishes for me.  He desires me for the person He made me (baldness and all!), in the capacity of love for which He made me.  If I am beautiful in His eyes, I will move the world.  God both knows us each to be beautiful, and at the same time desires each of us to become the fullness of beauty.

Our Lady of Mariapocs, part 1

My husband, Sean, went to work yesterday, for a six day trip.  Before he left, however, he made me four boards in his workshop.  Last night I began to gesso the boards.  While I gessoed I meditated on my next icon. 
I am leaning toward writing Our Lady of Mariapocs.  I went to school just outside of Vienna for several years, and visited the original icon at St. Stephan's Cathedral many times (written by Stefan Papp for the ikonostas of the Monastery of the Basilian Fathers in Pocs).  It is a miracle working icon, witnessing the protection and intercession of the Mother of God.  Mariapocs has wept tears in Pocs (now called Mariapocs), Hungary.  She was moved to Vienna because the Austrian Emperor had heard of her miraculous tears.  The Hungarians were not happy with this, and insisted on stopping the carriage that carried her, every step on the way to Vienna, so as to pay homage to Our Lady.  However, the Viennese couldn't bear to part with her either.  They made a copy and sent the copy back to Hungary.  God has his way: It is the copy in Hungary that now weeps.
I prayed before the original Our Lady of Mariapocs many times with Sean.  I prayed in particular for our discernment of marriage to one another (we were either friends or dating during that time), and mostly that he would fall in love with me and be my husband.  Our Lady has her way too!

Our Lady of Deliverance

The original is honored in Peking in the church of Beitang, China.

It was made in thanksgiving for the miraculous protection granted to those who defended the region during the Boxer Rebellion on August 15, 1900.

We remember Roe vs. Wade today.  Dearest Mother, please protect our children, especially against the anti-children ideology of our world.

My husband thinks the Emperor Jesus Christ has similarities in his face to those of our son, Gabriel.  I suppose that is my own love coming out in the brush.  I also think Our Lady looks a lot like my own mother. 

Our Lady of Guadalupe

One of my favorite images, Our Lady of Guadalupe is my mother.  Patroness of the Americas, she is our Beacon of Hope. 

 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.  Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb, Jesus.

St. Michael the Archangel

    Saint Michael looks handsome and good, and yet utterly fierce.
The sword and cape show that St. Michael is the Commander of the Heavenly armies.  Red, in icons, indicates great authority, usually of divine power (in ancient Greek secular icons of emperors, they wore red boots. For royalty, but also the belief that God gave them their power as rulers).
The colors of the flames which encompass Satan reflect upon the Archangel's wings, showing that both the angel and the flames are instruments of God's justice.
The medallion which St. Michael holds points to the King whom he serves.  The letters IC XC are the first and last letter of the Greek words Jesus Christ.  Some ancient icons actually have a picture of Jesus' face in the sphere, rather than the letters.
What's amazing is that every Chrismated/Confirmed Christian has been given a divine sword.  We are soldiers in this Divine Army, and St. Michael is our beloved Commander!!!

Our Lady, Helper of Mothers, Childbirth and Midwives

I was commissioned to write this icon a few months ago.  It is from a 14th century Russian icon.  Our Lady is holding the baby Jesus on her cloth.  In another version of the icon Our Lady's hair is unveiled and worn down, very unusual for Byzantine iconography.  This is a miracle working icon.  The icon in my home parish has assisted many mothers to conceive and carry a healthy baby into this world.