The Catholic Church is rich with history and mingled with that history is AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL art. Just recently the church celebrated the feast day of St. Luke. This holy man was a writer and a physician, but early on he also painted icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
My father has a devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help and as is common with a particular devotion, this was born out of tremendous heartache and suffering. Jesus and Mary knew this suffering well and have allowed us to be included in this through the gift of art. We are a visual people. St. Thomas needed to see to believe, and then in the upper room he repented when Jesus was there in the flesh.
This Our Lady of Perpetual Help Icon is a true copy of the original, painted on the kitchen table used by the Holy Family, by St. Luke.
Wikipedia states this: “The image depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary wearing a dress of dark red, representing the Passion of Jesus with a blue mantle representing her perpetual virginity and cloaked veil which represents her pure modesty. On the left side is the Saint Archangel Michael, carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus. On the right is the Saint Archangel Gabriel carrying a 3-bar cross used by Popes at the time and nails. The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead, signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as to the school which has produced this icon. The Byzantine depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art has three stars, one star each on the shoulder and one on the forehead. This type of icon is called Hodegetria composition, where Saint Mary is also pointing to her Son, known as a Theotokos of the Passion.[4]
The Greek inscriptions read ( Mother of God); OAM (Archangel Michael); OA? (Archangel Gabriel); and I?-X? ( Jesus Christ ), respectively. The icon is painted with a gold background on a walnut panel which was probably painted in the islands of Crete, which at the time was then ruled by the Republic of Venice.[5] The Cretan School was the source of the many icons imported into Europe from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. The icon was cleaned and restored once in 1866 and again in the year 1940.”
As you can see, color is extremely important for artists. Each one has deep meaning and lends to the personality of the work of art. The same goes for this day and age, but with a modern twist, the computer takes things to a whole new level.
Combining the old with the new is a smart way to advertise, design and market for Catholic Organizations. Because the copyright has expired after 1923, beautiful Catholic artwork like this is available for use in print and web. That is good news!
If you are planning to have a website designed, or graphic designs produced for print, make sure you hire a graphic designer like me.
For a successful and beautiful design, you need these things:
• For your graphic designer to have knowledge of the church, as well as a keen sensitivity for your project.
• Ask to complete the creative brief with the designer, not just on your own. This saves you time and contributes to the creativity that is applied to the project.
• A professional look to give your organization credibility.
• Experience. Don’t hire someone just because they are the cheapest, hire the one most qualified to make your ministry look the best it can look!
Are you a Catholic author looking for a design for your book’s cover?
Maybe you are a Christian Musician that needs a “rock star” CD cover, minus the typical rock star morals or lack thereof. I invite you take advantage of my FREE 30 min. consultation. Cover design is extremely important. Many writers might want to overlook the cover because “content is king”.
Well, if “content is king” then your cover is the queen. Don’t let them appear in public without each other! I absolutely love helping the Royal Couple, which is actually Jesus and Mary, by using my time and talents to help spread virtue, morality and the Catholic faith.
GOD BLESS!
Professional Graphic Designs