JenAmbrose Design in Progress

I paint new saints all year long but I always spend some extra time in January choosing a few (or a bunch) of saints to paint in the coming year. This January has been rough, with multiple snow events (which are super stressful for this Florida native) and an exposure quarantine (luckily nobody actually got sick!) Meant I had a huge amount of unplanned time at home. At first I was thrilled, I would get so much work done, possibly even paint enough new saints for the whole year! But it's surprising how depressed one can get being stuck in the house. So I ended up only seriously painting on three days so far this month. But I did choose and complete eight new saints, one of which is Our Lady of Fatima. I decided to base her on the statue created by Father Thomas McGlynn, A Dominican friar. More about Father Thomas . Back in 2020 I got the chance to visit Saint Vincent Ferrer in Manhattan to see one of these statues in real life but managed to not take a photo. Here's to 2022 bein...

So let's be honest, I'm terrible at updating things, this blog definitely included. Last year I made goals for my business, (and actually met them!) But this year the only goal I made was to paint three new Saints every month. And so far I've managed to meet that goal! Today saints 7,8 and 9 are at the print shop. They're Saint Jude, Our Lady of Sorrows, and Our Lady of perpetual help. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up this pace and have three more every month! 

  This is the Mary I strive to be more like! On December 8 th the Catholic Church celebrates Mary being conceived without original sin, making her the perfect created being and able to be mother to our Lord. Because I live in Virginia, I am close enough to visit the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. and it is the most amazing church that I have personally visited in the U.S.   O most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body and spirit, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, receive my prayers as I present them to God. (state your intentions here) O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, you intercede for us with your Son. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

  Today is a very special day for my personal faith, the feast day of my confirmation saint, Saint Ambrose of Milan. Because I was confirmed in RCIA almost six years ago, I got to choose my saint as a full-fledged adult. I remember pouring through saint books and one specific part of the story of Saint Ambrose kept calling me. He wasn’t a baptized Catholic when he was elected as Bishop of Milan! He wasn’t even interested in that office at the time. The people saw something in him and he went for it. Similar things have happened in my own life because I often don’t see in myself what others do. With his special intersession, I hope to be able to recognize opportunities when they arise and see in myself what others do, and what God does.

  When I first prayed the consecration to Mary, I chose this feast day, October 7 th , to complete the prayer which seemed fitting because it was a Dominican priest that recommended it to me.   According to Dominican tradition, in 1206, St. Dominic was in Prouille, France, attempting to convert the Albigensians back to the Catholic faith. The young priest had little success until one day he received a vision of the Blessed Virgin, who gave him the Rosary as a tool against heretics.   The priests at my local parish are Dominicans (I live in a college town), and their style of preaching really calls to me.

  I first heard about this Marian devotion when a friend of mine was struggling with a problem and asked me to pray this particular novena. Halfway through I realized I was praying this for myself as much as for them! The most popular image of this Mary is a painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner where she is seen untying knots in a long ribbon, and was inspired by the work of St. Irenaeus of Lyons where he presents a parallel between Eve and Mary, describing how "the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith." Her feast day is celebrated on September 28 th , but you can pray for her intersession any time. Mother of fair love, I look to you. Take into your hands the ribbon of my life, and see the snarl of knots that keeps me bound to sin, anxiety, and hopelessness. I beg you, Mother, by your powerful intercession and long fingers...