_THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: THE CROWNING OF MARY_

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: THE CROWNING OF MARY

Oil on cradled canvas

March 19 - April 28, 2025

For Maryhill School of Theology

For this painting I used the most number of reference photos, because of the inclusion of 12 crowns from 12 different appellations of the Blessed Virgin, some of which are canonical crowns. 

Inner circle, Left to Right: Crowns of Our Lady of Penafrancia, Our Lady of Remedies, Our Lady of Fatima, the Immaculate Conception, and Our Lady of La naval. 

Outer circle, Left to Right: Crowns of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, Our Lady of the Pillar, Our Lady of Guidance,

Several motifs are carried over from The Glorious Mysteries: The Resurrection: the motif of angels and the motif of sunrise, and, from _The Glorious Mysteries: Mary Is Assumed Into Heaven_, the Philippine Carnival Queen gown. After all, if the saints could be garbed in the raiment of the royal Renaissance Italians, I don't see why I can't do the same to them in tropical finery within the context of my own country. Maryhill School of Theology calls it enculturation. 

Aubrey sat for this painting, as she did for Descent of the Holy Spirit and  Mary Is Assumed Into Heaven. Leah sat for the two angels.

I no longer use pencils/graphite for construction lines. Instead, I use a brush and paint dilute, which is easier to wipe off. All of the lines are painted freehand.

As with all other of my paintings, I followed a three-stage process:

1) Construction lines using photographic references, during which I completely enjoy the methods of groping

2) Layering and color blocking, ensuring that the entire canvas is covered with paint and thus eliminating the need for underpainting. At this point no matter how crude my images still are, everything is good as long as I know exactly how to refine them. 

3) Glazing on completely-dry layers. In this particular work, here is how 30 glazes on 15 opaque and semi-opaque layers looks like. The glazing process is always the longest of all.

Can you see the hidden messages in this painting?

The auditory stimulus I used while working on this painting is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s. Do listen to it while viewing the work, but the lyrics have nothing to do with the subject matter of the painting.

Photo by Neil de Leon

Construction lines took me two days to compose.

Layering and color hlocking. Seven layers were applied befpre this photo was taken. Afterward, the background was filled in with a mixture of alizarin and titanium white.

This is how 30 glazes on 15 opaque and semi-opaque layers looks like.