St. Alphonsus is one of my father’s favorite saints. After I had made the Holy Family, he asked if I was going to continue making saint portraits out in the woods like a hermit icon painter. Not going to lie, it was a tempting offer, but I settled for simply the portrait half. St. Alphonsus in his older years suffered from rheumatism. I found many of his depictions had portrayed this way so I was curious to see what would happen if I tried to capture some of his younger vigor. This was not to take away from the trials he took on later in life, but to get a glimpse of another part of his life. This ended up being a Christmas present for my father. I would like to continue creating saint pieces unique and different from what we’re used to.
