This is the Madonna and Child I painted for Noel, 2017

I like to paint Jesus as a happy baby and here he is smiling and playing with his toe, something babies love to do.      He is such a joy to all of us.

Our Lady of Sorrows

In April, 2017, I entered an art show with three paintings, a child holding a cat, a bird and this painting of Our Lady of Sorrows, thinking that Mary would never win anything because sacred art is not very popular in the shows.     But it was Lent, and Easter was approaching, and I wanted to have the Sorrowful Mother in the show, hoping that at least one person would look at it and be touched spiritually.      I remember looking at the painting, while I was preparing the paperwork for the entry and saying to her, “If you win anything, it will be a miracle.”     Well . . .the miracle happened . . .  SHE WON THE BLUE RIBBON!    I was flabbergasted!!    What a wonderful gift from the Lord to his mother and me.

Our Lady of Fatima

October 13, 2017 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun, which was seen by 70,000+ people. When Mary appeared to the three children in Fatima, she gave them a very serious message and she never smiled. She was sad, but loving and concerned. At each of her six apparitions she asked for prayer and penance and we should have listened.  She asked for the Rosary and Penance and it is not too late for us to comply.

As inspiration for this painting, I used a photo of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and a picture of Our Lady of Medjugorje, who said that her messages were a continuation of those from Fatima.    I wanted to paint her as described in Revelations “clothed with the sun” and that is why I used so much yellow.    My goal was to finish the painting by the Anniversary, which is tomorrow, and I finished it just in time.   How lucky we are to have had the beautiful messages from Fatima.        Thank you God for sending us your mother.

Jacinta and Francisco Marto

Our Lady of the Pieta