The Holy Family was a commission for a friend. There was a great deal of planning and discussion before creating a final image. He wanted me to capture the pure intimacy of the family and we agreed that a forehead kiss was appropriate. And of course, Mary had to be smiling. There were some rather entertaining miscommunications that lead to recreating the baby Jesus a few times over.
After about a week of rendering the image from a sketch to the finished product, I went to hang it up for a final critique. An average critique for me usually involves grumbling over imperfections the client may not notice, but I cannot unsee them. This time was different. There were small things I would have fixed here and there, but I stopped looking so closely at all the little mistakes and finally took in the big picture as a whole. In doing that, I found myself crying a few moments later. I had done saints and other religious pieces in the past, but normally as small gifts or exercises. This time I felt as though I had truly captured something holy. And what is art for if not God speaking through the imagination? For the first time, I realized (or at least truly acknowledged) this was more than just a hobby or craft, this was a gift.
