Sacred Art by Joan Grayson

Our lady of LaLeche

2011-12-15T05:47:00.001-08:00

This is a painting of the Madonna and Child that I did for Noel, 2011. It was inspired by a statue of Our Lady of LaLeche, originally brought over by the Spanish in the 1600's to St. Augustine, Florida.

I wish all of you a very happy, healthy, holy and Merry Christmas. May you be graced with blessings from the heart of the Christ child. Peace, love and joy are the fruits of a faithful Christian life and, I pray, that you will be given these gifts in abundance.

Our Lady of LaSalette

2011-09-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

The apparitions of Our Lady of LaSalette occurred on September 19, 1846, in a small village in the French Alps. Two children who were tending the cows in the fields, saw an incredibly beautiful woman, surrounded by light, sitting in a chair and weeping. She stood up and spoke to them "I have come to tell you the Good News." (The good news was that God exists and that He loves them.) A message followed and she warned them of a coming famine and how people had fallen away from the faith. She asked that people pray and return to her son.

This apparition has received full church approval.

The Infant Jesus of Prague

2011-09-08T18:32:00.001-07:00

When I purchased this Infant Jesus of Prague statue at a church rummage sale for $2, it was badly in need of restoration. The hand and the back of the head were broken and the paint was faded and chipped. I picked it up and thought about the millions of prayers that were said before statues like this one in years gone by and I thought about the miracles that had been attributed to this infant. This one was once someone's treasure and I wanted to restore it to its glory and then give it away to someone in need. I had restored six or seven Infant Jesus of Prague statues in the past and had given them to people who all seemed to receive wonderful graces once they entered their homes. It was the child Jesus who said "The more you honor me, the more will I bless you."

Our Lady of Montserrat

2011-08-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

In 2002 while visiting Barcelona, Spain, I went to the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, one of the Black Madonna's of Europe. According to legend, the statue was carved by St. Luke and brought to Spain by St. James. It was hidden in a cave when Spain was occupied by the Moors and it mysteriously reappeared in 890. Because it could not be moved, the church was built around it, and many miracles have been attributed to it. St. Ignatius Loyola had his conversion experience at this shrine before founding the Jesuits and Christopher Columbus made a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Montserrat before embarking on his journey to the New World. It is an incredibly beautiful shrine on a mountain top in Spain. This colored pencil drawing of her is one of my earliest works and it's very primitive, but I wanted to honor the Blessed Mother on the eve of the Assumption by posting it here and sharing it with you.

St. Anne

2011-07-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

2011-06-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of LaSalette

2011-05-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

"Come near my children, do not be afraid,

I am here to tell you the good news."

These were Mary's first words to two children

when she appeared at La Salette in the French

Alps, on September 19, 1846.

Mother of the God of Tenderness

2011-05-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

Since Mary was declared the mother of God at the Council of Ephesus in 431, iconographers have depicted her holding the child Jesus. He often has his cheek pressed affectionately to hers and the love is so evident between them. The art of the Middle Ages didn't show musculature, shadows or perspective, but it certainly showed holiness. The icons were written (not painted) using a formula that emphasized the spirituality of the image rather than the realism that was developed during the Renaissance. The artists didn't even sign their icons because they didn't consider them to be important. God was the important one! I love icons and what they represent and I loved painting my version of the Mother of the God of Tenderness.

Our Lady of Fatima

2011-05-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

The Divine Mercy Image

2011-05-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

The tomb is empty . . .

2011-04-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

He was wounded for our Transgressions painted Good Friday, 2011

2011-04-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

This crucifixion was inspired by Rubens

2011-04-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

The angel brings our prayers to God.

2011-03-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of the Bowed Head

2011-03-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

In about the year 1610 the Venerable Dominic of Jesus and Mary was walking on the streets of Rome and he discovered a painting of the Blessed Mother that was torn and covered with dirt. He retrieved it and repaired it. While praying before the image, the face of Our Lady became animated and she smiled and nodded her head in gratitude. "Fear not, my son, for your request is granted." The Blessed Mother then promised Doninic, "All those who implore my protection, devoutly honoring this picture, will obtain their petition, and will receive many graces. Moreover, I shall hearken in a special manner to the prayers that shall be addressed to me for the relief of the souls in Purgatory." After reading about this image, I was inspired to paint this painting of Our Lady of the Bowed Head.

Our Lady of Lourdes - this was painted on February 11, 2011, which was her feast day

2011-03-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Our Lady of Lourdes spoke to Bernadette and said,

"I do not promise you happiness in this world, but in the next."

St. Francis of Assissi

2011-03-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Bapchie's Madonna and Child

2010-12-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

This is the Madonna and Child that I painted for Noel 2010 and I wanted to share it with you. The inspiration for the painting came from a very old print that my grandmother (Bapchie) had hanging on her bedroom wall for many years. She was widowed and left with nine small children during the days of the Great Depression. They were poor and she must have been very worried. But she was a true believer and I know that she prayed to God for help while looking at the print. Somehow everything seemed to work out for her, my mother, my aunts and uncles. I thought of that while I was doing the painting and how great her faith was. Those of us who believe are so lucky because we know the real reason for the beautiful Christmas season.

Christ Pentocrator - the one who rules over all

2010-07-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

2010-05-25T04:25:00.001-07:00

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

2009-05-08T20:08:00.001-07:00

The Shroud of Turin

2009-02-25T05:46:00.001-08:00

Our Lady of Guadalaupe

2008-12-28T14:56:00.001-08:00

She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes

2008-12-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Mother of the God of Tenderness

2008-11-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

The Rainbow Madonna

2008-07-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Infant Jesus

2008-05-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of the Pieta

2008-05-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Madonna and Child

2008-05-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

St. Therese of the Child Jesus

2008-05-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

2008-05-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Our Lady of LaSalette

2008-05-25T20:21:00.001-07:00

The Divine Mercy Image

2008-05-25T20:17:00.000-07:00