drawing; Painting
Portrait of a statue.
At Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, there is a statue of the Blessed Mother with a blue velvet kneeling bench below her to pray at. Many times I have knelt there, and prayed to her; and often times, vivid images have come to mind.
I’ve received inspiration of a room wallpapered with banana leaves; another time, it was an image of the Blessed Mother standing under a pale pink arch. It is from those visions, that I pieced together this painting of The Virgin Mary statue, surrounded by banana leaves, symbols of evergreen love and fertility. The arch is designed with the same concrete brick layout that can be found at the entrance of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church. At her feet, Mary is stepping on the serpent with an apple which is depicted as a mosaic. Mosaics are significant to Mt. Carmel Catholic church, my favorite being the outdoor mosaic that greets guests above the main door of the church (shown below).
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou
among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
Now, and at the hour
of our death.
Amen.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, Kenosha.
Christina Ann Rinaldi 