December 2022 Art Update - The End of the “Year of Miracles”
December 2022 Art Update
Reaching the end of the year is always an exciting time for me - reflecting on all God has done in my life and looking forward to the year to come.
December was busy, but I managed to make some headway on the Triptych project. There’s not much to show this month but hey, give me a break! It’s Christmas!
The St. Joseph triptych has commenced!
Let me tell ya, I have been so nervous to do this triptych. The colors are much more complicated than the Pentecost triptych. For that one, I only used red, yellow, orange, white, and burnt umber. This time, I have to mix this blue-green light which includes greys, flesh tones, and the golden light from Jesus. Not to mention the huge number of amount of faces in the background.
The funny things is, this has unanimously been the favorite of the two whenever I show people the designs!
Yeah. Not gonna lie, this one has been difficult. At times I literally groan at the way my hand shakes putting down a stroke, or how the paint was bluer than I was hoping for, or how the side of Joseph’s face is still too round.
But I know this is a labor of love. And this labor will bear fruit in the end. I only need to more fully lean into the pain and find a reward in the process. And maybe I’ll actually pull this off!:)
Life sketching
A goal of this upcoming year is to do more sketching and painting from life. This will hone my observational skills and allow me to simply have fun. Not everything I draw needs to look good or be perfect. Here are some sketches from the past months - mistakes and all!
Thank You!
At the beginning of 2022, I named this year the “Year of Miracles” because I was filled with so much hope of what 2022 would hold. At the time, I could feel it in my bones that this would be a big year of change and excitement. Coming off of a 4 month healing program, I felt emboldened to leave behind the loneliness and purposelessness I carried in my heart and step out in faith.
And truly, it was a year filled with miracles! 2022 first began with the “Great Social Media Purge” and I got rid of my Instagram and Facebook accounts (which I have not regretted once). This freedom from the internet allowed me to start investing in Catholic community again and I made amazing friends - including my incredible boyfriend, Marcus!
I made a big leap of faith to be fully self-employed with my own art studio, paid off all my student and car debt, got a few friends married off, and I even prayed with people for emotional, physical, and spiritual healing! The stories are too long to list in this newsletter, but I saw God perform miracle after miracle in my heart and in the lives of people I encountered. I’ve never felt more alive and more at peace with the woman I am and the God I’ve entrusted myself to.
Next year, I’m calling it Year of Miracles 2! I am fully convinced that God wants to do so much for us in our lives. We only need to surrender everything to Him (easier said, than done with our distrusting hearts!) and watch Him work.
Thank you all for being a huge part of the miracle of this art business. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without the support, purchases, and referrals you have all offered me this year.
-Mattie
P.S. As always, if you have any prayer requests, please send them to me below!
P.P.S. Happy New Year!!
I am filling up with religious art commissions, murals, and live painting events in the next year. If you have an art project idea, please reach out!
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