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!

Easter Eggs 3 - Chickens

Anne holds a new chick.

We got our beautiful new baby chicks several weeks ago, so it stands to reason that my first egg design should be chickens. 

First I painted all the eggs a tan color.  Then I made different patterns around the eggs: brown, yellow, or white circles, red dots, brown flowers…The toothpicks really come in handy for this, because you never have to touch the egg, and you can use the toothpick as a spindle on which to turn the egg.

Using the toothpick as a spindle to make an even paint line around the egg.

The large egg has a rooster and two baby chicks, the next egg has the hen and a whole egg on the back, the last egg has a newly hatched chick and bits of broken shell on the back.  Nothing here is complicated, the key is simplicity.  I did three sets (nine eggs), which took just under two hours from the beginning of painting time.  Don't forget to put a layer of protecting gloss on your egg (you can get this at any craft store, such as Hobby Lobby). 

To attach the string to the egg, use two strands of embroidery thread, loop it, and tie the ends in a knot.  Place a drop of glue in the egg hole, and put the end of your loop in.  Then place the toothpick back in the hole, and break off the toothpick so that the broken end cannot prick little fingers rubbing over the hole. 

Of course, the point of chicks for Easter is not just that they are a Spring motif.  Chicks represent new (resurrected) life coming forth from the tomb of the egg.  The Rooster has the added symbolism of being the creature that declared Peter's betrayal of Jesus.  He is Truth then, and often is used as a symbol of Christ for this reason.

During this season we remember the significance of the egg from which our lovely chicks came - every good thing (such as Easter and Resurrection) is always preceded by suffering (Lent, the Cross, Death).  How wonderful that God allows us, commands us, to participate in the greatness of death and new birth, in our Baptisms, in every Lent and Easter, and in our final departing from this life into the next.

Gabe holds a new egg.

Easter Eggs 2

 The next step with the eggs is to insert a tooth pick into the egg hole (do not glue - you want to be able to take it out again!).  Then you can stick the eggs in a Styrofoam cube (acquired from packing material).  I used a store-bought gesso for the eggs, but plain white paint will do as well.  The point with the gesso or layer of white paint is to fade out the wood grain and to prevent your later layers from soaking into the wood (with icons you have the additional purpose of wanting a smooth texture so that the paint sticks better to the wood and lasts longer.  Not so important with these craft eggs!). 

I had the privilege, while I was gessoing the eggs, to be praying the Rosary with a CD of our belated Blessed John Paul II.  When it was over I thought about how amazing it is, in our world of technology, that we can hear and see the modern saints.  There is video footage of St. Gianna Beretta Molla.  And who has not seen pictures of Blessed Mother Theresa?
This ability to hear and see our saints is truly a blessing, and a necessity for our modern world, so given to the senses.
But we also forget that the saints are all around us.  One holy man that I personally knew, Fr. Robert Stanion, CFR, was such a saint that you could touch.  I sometimes went to Mass in the morning with him, and then asked to go to confession afterward.  He would refuse unless I had breakfast with him first.  There were usually at least five people breakfasting with him. After breakfast I was around to see a medical technician pulling support hose up around his very swollen, purple legs.  Fr. Robert could not have been in much more pain than he was.  But there was also no other person who exhibited and spread more joy than him. It was nearly impossible to be unhappy in his presence.
Fr. Robert and I discussed iconography and art.  I have hundreds of valuable ideas and thoughts from him.  He wasn't perfect (for instance, unknown to myself at the time, the dining room in which we ate breakfast with him was cloistered, and he wasn't supposed to have us there).  But he was holy.  He knew what his people needed, even if it was a full belly, and more importantly - a heart full of loving conversation - before the Sacrament of Confession.  He knew I needed to see someone who could be peaceful and joyful despite many trials.
Whatever you are doing, whether it be working, praying, dealing with sick or shrieking children, gessoing Easter eggs - remember that even if you don't feel like it, even if you don't think it will make the slightest difference, do everything with a cheerful heart.  Hilarem datorem diligit Deus.  God loves a cheerful giver.  You will spread God's blessing wherever you go. 

Easter Eggs 1

 

Sean is gone on a six day trip and so I began working on the little eggs themselves.  I bought these particular eggs from Hobby Lobby, though if you are planning on making a lot, I suggest one of these sites:

http://www.woodcrafter.com/eggswooden.aspx

http://www.craftparts.com/eggs-fruits-wooden-eggs-c-249_251.html

If you have a drill, this step should be easy – if not, I believe you can get some kind of attachment you can glue on and string your thread through, but you’ll have to ask at a craft store.

Since I use smallish tooth picks to assist me in painting, the drill bit size I use is 5/64.  If you are using normal sized toothpicks, however, you might find a 3/32 more suitable.  Drill your hole carefully.  And keep the tools away from the childrens’ eager hands!

I was thinking about how crazy people question me for having my kids so close together, and wanting a big family.  My husband's being gone so long is not unusual.  I have never gotten used to his being gone, and probably never will (though I once had a co-worker tell me that her marriage only survived so long because her husband is gone all the time too!  How sad!).  But what I do remember is that before my little Anne was born, it was not only hard to have my husband gone, but I was miserable.  After I had Anne I had someone who needed my attention and affection, and so, Sean’s absence was a little easier to bear.

Sean's being gone does get easier – in the sense that my daughter is now able to have somewhat intelligent conversations with me (she is not quite three, after all), and both my children make me laugh all the time…And the fact that they are close together makes it possible for me to do things while they entertain each other, such as drilling holes into miniature eggs.  I can’t wait until my third is born.  I’m already used to being out-numbered, and my kids are very ready to have another playmate.

So at least in the children aspect I have an ideal life, who could truly think otherwise?  Perhaps someone who wants to work on their career, get an education, travel  the world?  Wait - I've done all that and it doesn't compare to the wonderfulness of child-rearing.  My husband being gone all the time, however – we have to work on that one!

Easter Egg Tree

 

This week we started Meat Fare Week.  For those not familiar with it, in the Byzantine Church we prepare for Lent two weeks in advance by getting rid of all our meat, one week in advance by getting rid of all dairy.  This way food doesn’t go to waste once we get to the Great Fast, and we are also eased into the season.

Now that we are approaching Lent, my thoughts turn to what should be done in preparation for Easter.  Arts and crafts wise, the mind turns to eggs.  Eggs have always been associated with Easter (new life hidden within the white walled tomb of the egg shell – we decorate them as a sign that the tomb no longer holds threat, that is, Christ has conquered death).  The tradition of Easter eggs on trees are more connected with Western Europe.  Pisanki and red colored hard boiled eggs are Eastern traditions.

Your basic tools: floral tape, small container, 18 gauge floral wire, floral foam, a small Spring-like container.  Also shown: wooden eggs for a future post and a kitchen knife for sizing the floral foam.

We often had an Easter tree growing up, but it wasn’t until I went to Austria for my studies that I discovered the most beautiful little wooden Easter eggs.  As this is a craft anyone can do, I will spend the next few weeks going over the lovely tradition of Easter trees and eggs for the tree.  I bought all the basic tools at Hobby Lobby. 

Mark the floral foam sponge and cut to fit your container.

Twist wire around pens, screwdrivers, or whatever you have.

Secure your twisted wire with floral tape and insert your tree into your foam sponge.

Add decorations as you wish and have available.

This something like what your finished and decorated tree will look.