‘Mary Was Integral in Drawing Me Closer to Her Son’
Painter captures the Blessed Mother and the Holy Family in her art.
Nichole Lanthier is a Catholic artist, musician, wife, and mother of five from Louisiana. Lanthier shared with the Register her reflections about creating Catholic art, especially the “extraordinary ordinary” moments, as shown in her work highlighting Our Lady and the Holy Family. From Our Lady of the Rosary to Mary Mother of God, the Immaculate Conception and depictions of Jesus, Mary and Joseph together, Lanthier depicts moments of holiness.
As she reflected on her art:
The subject I have drawn and painted the most is the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary was integral in drawing me closer to her Son. I developed a special relationship with her when I was introduced to the book True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort in high school.
Her life is such a rich source for meditation, and I find myself thinking often about the everyday moments she shared with Jesus.
I love the idea of the sanctification of the small, mundane moments of life.
Over the last four years that I’ve been a working artist, I have felt a push to capture the small, everyday moments of the Holy Family’s life.
I imagine Mary rocking Jesus to sleep, or teaching him how to pray, or laughing with him and Joseph around the dinner table. I think about late-night nursing sessions, or times when Mary played games with Jesus.
There was so much life that happened in between what we read in the Scriptures. It was simple, but it was holy — the extraordinary ordinary. Meditating on these tiny moments has helped me to grow in my vocation as a wife and mother.
I have often found myself looking to Mary’s unwavering “Yes” as an example. Mary reminds me that it’s not about being the most skilled or having recognition. It’s about being faithful to God’s call and being open to his will so that more souls can be reached and saved.
Mary’s example of faithfulness and devotion inspires me to keep saying “Yes” to God’s call, even when it doesn’t always make sense.
I pray that my artwork will bring joy and inspiration to others and lead them closer to Christ — “to Jesus through Mary.”
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- marian art
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