My Sister's Art

Someone asked about my sister's artwork.  She is Sr. MaryAnn Richwald, SOLT, and she does sell her stuff to support the convent, if you are interested in being a patron of the arts!

This is a watercolor piece, and my favorite of the ones I own.   This is Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The original (on the tilma) is actually a picture of Our Lady, pregnant with Jesus but not showing yet (she is wearing the Aztec equivalent of a maternity belt).  Here she is more obviously pregnant! 

She also is glowing as the dawn breaks over the mountains ("...the immaculate dawn announcing our salvation..." and "How beautiful, on the mountains, are the feet of the one who brings glad tidings.") What I love is the tenderness with which she contemplates the unborn Jesus.

This is another favorite, although, unfortunately, this is a copy.  It's either colored pencil or, possibly, watercolor pencil.  It's St. Dominic (the Emperor and I are Lay Dominicans).

The round shape represents the world.  The grain is the harvest (pray the harvest master to send workers") and the star and torch are from St. Dominic's life.  The star was seen on his forehead at his baptism.  The torch was from a dream his mother had before he was born.  She dreamed her baby was a dog carrying a torch that set the whole world on fire.  (On fire with the love of God!).  He is carrying the Rosary the Dominicans still preach, and his mouth is open, speaking the Word.

I really do love her stuff because it's all so richly symbolic.  She also does quite a bit of work that is similar to icons (but in watercolor).  I had a really nice Pantocrater, but I gave it to my Mom for Christmas last year!!

This is actually a stamp she carved (Our Lady of Divine Grace), but I rarely stamp with it.  I keep it on my windowsill above my kitchen sink.

Lately she has also been doing embroidery, but I can't find the pictures!