St. Catherine of Siena

-St. Catherine is famous for her sanguine, fun-loving temperament. When she was little, her family nicknamed her “Euphrosyne,”which is Greek for “joy.”I painted her with a charming smile and glowing cheeks to represent her sweet, hilarious, quirky personality! I also included her traditional symbols: lilies, the Crucifix, and her stigmata. A crown of thorns embellishes her halo.
-The fiery sequins radiating from her evoke her empowering words: “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” 
-The gate-like arch of pearls represent both the great price Christ paid for us to join Him in heaven, and the unfailing holiness of the Church here on earth. St. Catherine was a courageous custodian of such unfailing holiness, especially when she spoke out against Church scandal and exhorted the pope to return to Rome.
-The golden vine adorning the archway recalls Christ’s words in John 15: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”
-I embellished the arch with shards of red faceted glass from the windows at Sacred Heart. These shards, recalling drops of blood shed in Christ’s Passion, represent St. Catherine’s desire to be awash in Christ’s Precious Blood and ultimately to be surrounded by Him.
St. Catherine, pray for us!
This is an original mixed media gouache painting with hand-embellished arch and frame; sealed with resin on 6 x 12 inch wooden panel with gold leaf edging