"They were overjoyed at seeing....."

I love collage

I love reading the Infancy Narratives from the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew which can be found at the beginning of these Gospels, because this is the beginning sign; "you will find an infant".

Sacred Art Workshop: a visual way to pray

Jesse Tree
Adapted from an Illuminated Manuscript
The Scherenberg Psalter, circa 1260
The Jesse Tree is a visual representation of Jesus' genealogy.
At the bottom,Jesse is asleep and the branch grows upwards from his side.
First are the Prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah, then at the top are the Kings:
Solomon and David, the son of Jesse.At the center is Jesus,  held by Mary.

The idea of hosting a Sacred Art Workshop at my Parish Church is simply an invitation to all visual artists or those interested in the visual arts. Our Parish is very welcoming to those who love to sing, what about deepening your prayer life through color and line? We have a rich tradition in the Visual Arts and our first inspiration will be from The Illuminated Manuscript. If the day or time is not working for you, email me at athomewsoul@gmail.com to discuss.  Friday, November 27 from 3;30-5pm in Rm 006 at St. Basil's Catholic Parish at the University of St. Michael's College, Toronto.

Gathering the Fallen

                                                                                                                                         This time of year leaves are falling here in my country. I was introduced to a piece of history from even closer to my home when I learned of the Canadian solider, Leslie Miller, who in 1917 after fighting in the Battle at Vimy Ridge, France, gathered some oak acorns and sent them home to his family farm in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. He never knew if he would make it home to see if they transplanted, but he did make it home and  the Vimy Ridge Oak is growing in Ontario, Canada. Now there is a group who hope to repatriate the Oaks back to France and hopefully to have them thriving for the One Hundredth Anniversary in 2017. Many Canadian Artists are contributing works to tell the story and to remember all the Fallen. I was asked to send in an idea for a Vimy Ridge Oak Angel, and that is what this paper sculpture is commemorating.

I grew up in this eastern section of Toronto, and it is with great pride I donate my imagination and skill to send an Angel to watch over the growth of these original Oaks.

A dear friend has prodded me, "you have not posted anything since May, it is already September!"
What I have I been busy about? Moving.....I have made an even bigger leap into the unknown and I am now south of Collingwood, Georgian Bay, right into the heart of Toronto, living on St. George St.

My Icon of St. George, the Dragon slayer.
acrylic on wood
for sale
contact me:
athomewsoul@gmail.com

It is May. The month to celebrate mother's.

The Great Mother with attending Angels
18 x 24
Mixed Media and Acrylic

This past month I listened to a podcast by Zhena Muzyka from her 'Change Makers' channel.
Zhena was interviewing Julie Ryan, a medical intuitive who is about to release a book titled, "Angelic Attendants", what happens at death. Julie said that the maternal shows up at the time of dying, and this maternal presence brings with her angels, and what she has seen about these angels is that their wings are like birds wings. While I was listening to this I was staring at this painting of mine, I felt like Julie was describing what I had intuited when creating this at the time of my mother's dying.

Ash Wednesday...... Remember

every night we lay down on stone, with the weight of the day, but we are never out of God's presence
 and that puts us in a community as God does not live alone.
Acrylic on wood
18 x 18
contact me  to purchase: athomewsoul@gmail.com

This quote from Fr. Ron Rolheiser reflecting on the reality of our longing and our struggle.......
A non-negotiable part of meeting Jesus means being sent out, and not just alone on some private spiritual quest or individualized ministry. It means being called into community, into a church, and then sent out with others, “in pairs”, to, as Nikos Kazantzakis poetically puts it, “walk in Christ’s bloody footsteps”, that is, to walk inside of mess and failure, misunderstanding and crucifixion, confusion and tiredness, darkness and God’s seeming silence, wondering sometimes if you will indeed find a stone upon which to lay your head.

St. Valentine's Day

Heart to Heart
18" x 18"
Acrylic, fabric, gold leaf on board
to purchase inquire at:
athomewsoul@gmail.com

New Year same longing....

January 01, Dedicated to the Mother of God
5 x 6 acrylic on board
metal frame
for sale
contact Mariann at:
athomewsoul@gmail.com

I was reading  my last January's journal entries, notes from Fr. Ron Rolheiser's book "The Holy Longing".  Fr. Ron writes that we find ourselves in a culture of  unbridled restlessness, greed  for experience. and an excessive focus on work = staying very, very busy.
Pause, gaze on this Icon of the Mother. She is holding a napkin because she is a working Mother, she understands business.
The Child is holding a book, the Word, that answers the question 'which way to go?'
 Fr. Ron writes that our dark night of spirituality is very much shaped by the tension between distracted mind and silent mind.
How to remember God with us?   I am offering the Art of the Beautiful Mother, an image to gaze upon, light a candle before and sooth your Holy longing.