St.Philomena (St. Filumena)

St. Philomena (or Filumena) stands by the Tiber River with a rope around her neck and an anchor at the other end. The executioner awaits the word from emperor Diocletian. In the shadows of the archway her parents can be seen. Her mother, still pleading for her daughter to give up her vow to Christ and adore the Roman gods, is on her knees.  Her father having tried to convince her of the same stands unmoved behind his distraught wife. A few Christians on the right show their support.  An archer stands behind Diocletian; he will be called upon, with others, to shoot her with arrows, for the anchor will have no effect on drowning the girl and Philomena will miraculously rise from the Tiber, unharmed and completely dry!  The archers arrows will fail as well to kill her; in fact on the second round of shooting, the arrows will turn in mid flight and strike their shooters.  Finally, she will be beheaded.

I decided to cut off the top of the painting as the onlookers I had painted  standing on the stone wall

above the arch distracted the eye. So here is the final version. St. Philomena, pray for us.

St. Philomena at the Tiber - a work in progress

I have been working on this image, off and on, for a couple of months. Here is the present state.  It is of St. Philomena, a martyr during the reign of Diocletian. After refusing his advances and refusing to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods, this young Christian girl was tortured by him in various ways. This painting is where she is tied with a rope around her neck and anchor other other end of a rope and thrown into the Tiber River. 

No sooner had she gone under when she suddenly rose up out of the water, free of the rope and completely dry. The roman pagans who were present cried out for Joy for her and were baptized. Diocletian, furious, had her shot with arrows, but to no avail. The next day she was healed of all wounds, so he had arrow tips made red hot with fire and shot at her, but the arrows turned course and struck six of the archers that shot them. Finally, she was beheaded. More of her account here: http://www.philomena.us/saint-2/history-saint-philomena/story-saint-philomena/

The Deer Resting - harp recording.

A recent recording on my Harp.


Check this out on Chirbit

Night of the Hermit - Image from a film I am about to embark on.

The story is set to an orchestral compositon of mine.

It will be all music with images that tell a story.

I won't divulge the story yet. This image is from the film - all that is missing

is a stone statue of the Madonna with child that will be in the central niche.

Her is a link to the music:http://chirb.it/7g9D1n

Happy Birthday St. Padre Pio

On this day in 1887, St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina was born. Here he is in the Monastery garden of Our Lady of Grace - probably late 1950's.. I walked in that same place many times when I lived there.

Happy Birthday St. Padre Pio.

constant reflection

A small sketch from my sketchbook. It is of a woman caught in the moment of reflecting on the mysteries of Eternal Life; what lay ahead for one that moves ever closer to the moment of separation from this world. We must all face this at some point.

a couple of small oil paintings on panel done in the last year.

John's Vermeer - 9 x 12 in. Oil on panel.

My wife said she was 'comissioning' me to do a painting. I figured maybe a nice little landscape. She said; " I want a Vermeer." Gulp! I can't copy a Vermeer, I said. Just try, do your version of it, she said. Well, here are the not so great results.

Two Oils (top and bottom) and an Acrylic (middle).

At jacob's well

I don't know how many hours I have put on this Painting but quite a few. The Subject of the meeting of the Samaritan woman with Christ at the well and the discourse between her and the Son of God has 

always been one of my favorite moments in the New Testament. 

However, not happy with the position of Christ's head and the lack of focus on the work, I have done a few things more to it. Here are the results:

Brother Gerardo of Deliceto (Fra Gerardo da Deliceto)

I found this picture on the internet of a Friar I knew when I was living in San Giovanni Rotondo at the Monastery where St. Padre Pio lived and died. His name is Brother Gerardo. He was a lay brother. His cell was next to mine. (Religious call their rooms cells, not rooms).  Here he is in the Monastery kitchen scraping off apple peels from plates. These most likely would go out to the chickens. This Brother was extremely happy. He had a perpetual smile across his face and would always greet you when you passed by. In my book CAPUCHIN DAYS I talk about some experiences I had with him.  I think he had lived there since the 1920's.

The old way of doing Storyboards

I do miss the old way of doing storyboards where one drew with real art materials on real paper.
You could hold it in your hand. It was the only original. Everything else was a copy.
Here is an old Charcoal and pen board panel from some story of mine. This goes back to 1990.

Two paintings and one frame

The Martyr

9 x 12 in.

Oil on panel

Here is my Presidents day weekend project 2014:  My version of a 'Tabernacle' frame. I've have always liked the looks of this style of frame, thought mine is far from the craftsmanship and quality of a true Tabernacle frame. It is constructed of maple and painted black. I had this painting (The Martyr)  of mine in another frame and thought it might be a good candidate to try and make a Tabernacle frame for.  

Lanscape with red clouds

8 x 8 inches

Oil on canvas

A small landscape. My cel phone's camera doesn't seem to have good quality in close ups. It could be the operator and not the phone.

The Capuchin Nuns

The Capuchin Franciscan Reform of the Friars in the 1500's spread to the Sisters as well. 

Longing for a more true following of the Rule of St. Clare, the Capuchines was born. This is a painting in the works

ST. Filumena (Philomena)

The latest state of this painting. St. Filumena holds a flaming arrow.
Interesting story. After numerous tortures by the Roman Emperor Diocletian (who wanted her for her beauty of which she would not yield) she was put to face archers with flaming arrows. However, this young virgin Christian was yet  to confound the Emperor once again, for the arrows, upon release, returned from whence they came and struck the archers who fired them, killing them dead. Furious at this, Diocletian had her tied to an anchor and thrown into the Tiber. Marvel to behold! she rose up out of the depths of the water, unharmed and dry! He ordered her beheaded, which she was, and another martyr entered the company of Paradise.

The present stage of things on this work

Quite a different state tonight as I stop. All along I have been thinking of the incredible story of St. Filumena (Philomena) Here I see her in the company of martyrs looking down thru the veil of time to those below who call upon her.

a little more work

This is a case of going downhill fast. Maybe the next go around will be better.

work in progress

Looking back to 1951 as 2014 arrives

My parents and my sister and I in Rhode Island. We moved to California when I was two years old so I'm guessing this must be about 1951.

BEAUTY AND THE REAL

I've often dwelt on the problem of Beauty in the Arts. Is Beauty, as the popular saying goes, 'In the eye of the beholder?' Yes and No. Sounds contradictory doesn't it? It is not about 'me', it is about 'it' for 'it' does exist outside of me, but I must be of the right moral space to recognize it - otherwise less than beauty will appear to be so. And this lower plane of beauty can be confused with the true Beauty.

Here is a great Lecture on this subject. It is by Professor Alice Ramos and was given at the Catholic Artists Society conference. Here is the PDF text of her lecture:http://www.catholicartistssociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Professor-Alice-Ramos-lecture_Beauty-and-the-Real.pdf

Contemplation