Friday, March 29, 2013

"Happy Easter!" "Happy Passover!" "Happy Spring!"


"The Church Of The Most Holy Redeemer"
East Boston, MA USA
(Acrylic Canvas 24" x 30")



Fitting for Easter that I post this depiction of my childhood church.  Just finished it today!
Painting includes my rendition of the church, the convent, the rectory, and my grammar school!
(If you look carefully at the bottom right I am hoping you can recognize the statue of "Mary!"  When I was a little boy the custodian chose me to brighten up the statue with paint every spring! Who would imagine these many years I would make this painting for all to see!)

Happy Easter!


Every year I do the poster for our groups' Seder Dinner.  This photo has last years information.  Didn't get a chance to photograph this seasons work!

Happy Passover!

The crocus blooming is a sure sign of spring arriving in New England! The flowers are even made more beautiful with a bit of snow!
Happy Spring!




19 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Varsha!
      Thank you for visiting my blog! I am glad you like my painting!
      Have a great day!
      Michael

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  2. What a full post! Great job on the church...how great that you were selected to spruce the statue up each year. You gave the entire thing a feeling of strength. Nice seder poster. The crocuses are up here too...as well as the lenten roses. Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy Spring!

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    1. Hello Joan!
      Full post is right! Thank you! I am happy you like my church! It certainly was fun to literally paint the statue when I was young. I am also glad you enjoyed my Seder poster. I celebrate all the holidays!
      Happy Everything Joan!
      Michael

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  3. Happy Spring, Michael. The church painting shows great emotion - love, joy, spirituality. And the sky with the rays of light is just magnificent!

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    1. Happy Spring back at you Susan!
      Thank for all your very kind comments on my church painting! Thank you so much! It is wonderful to hear nice things about my work! Thank you!
      You were right when you posted awhile back about the artist's audience being part of the process. I look forward to the positive comments from our fellow art bloggers! So, thank you very much Susan!
      Art forever!
      Michael

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  4. What a wonderful post, Michael..and I love your finished Church!!
    Looking at those gorgeous Crocus' made me feel like Spring is really here!!!

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    1. Hello HIlda!
      I am glad you think my post is wonderful! It makes me so very happy you think so Hilda! I am very happy that spring is certainly here! However, I do miss the winter! I always have mixed feelings when one season ends and another starts!
      Have the best day ever art buddy!
      Keep painting!
      Michael

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  5. so great that you've been painting Mary in different ways over the years...! Lovely painting, just perfect for Easter

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  6. Good morning Celeste!
    It is so great! It seems like only yesterday I was a young boy standing on a ladder adding blues and whites to the statue! Thank you so much for writing! I am glad you like my painting. Have the best day every today!
    Your art buddy!
    Michael

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  7. Hi Michael,
    I love your painting of the church - very Van Goghish I thought. I also loved hearing about the story of you painting the statue as a boy - what an honour that must have been for you. Great poster too - lots of fun to do I imagine.
    Oooh and the crocuses!! straight out of the pages of my children's books that I treasured as a child. Beautiful!
    I find spring bulbs to be a particularly magical sight. We are able to grow them here too, but probably with a bit more effort than in colder climes. Some of the fussier types - like tulips must have a little spell in the fridge before planting them, to trick them into thinking they have just enjoyed a nice northern winter nap. I have just bought a heap of freesias to plant soon so they will be ready for our own spring in September. Freesias are very hardy here as they originate from southern Africa where the climate is a little closer to ours.
    I hope you had a great Easter and Passover. Great to see you are getting such pretty signs of spring emerging.

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  8. Hello My Australian Art Buddy!
    Thanks for visiting and always writing such wonderful comments! It means so much to me! Hearing from you and our other art bloggers has become an important part of my wonderful art world! Also love learning new cultural and geographical bits of information!
    "Very Van Gohish!" Yes! I couldn't ask for a better compliment! I love, love, love, my buddy Vincent!
    Love the Impressionists and post impressionists! I think I love all artists! I am glad you like my church and my little story about literally painting the statue. More than fifty years ago how could I ever have imagined I would paint that scene and share the a photo of that piece all over the world! Wow!
    I am glad you enjoy growing bulbs! Good for you taking the time and work to refrigerate them and "give it a go" by planting them! (Hey, is "Give it a go!" an Australian expression? When I was a teacher I have a vague memory of a reading program from Australia that used the expression "Give it a go!" Meant to "Try it out?"
    I am looking forward to seeing your Freesias in bloom this September. In September we have our glorious fall season! Wow! is all I can say about our autumn colors! Wow! again!
    Again thanks so much for so much Wendy!
    Paint on and on and on!
    Your USA art mate!
    Michael

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    1. Hi Michael!
      Yes, that's a very common expression over here. Until you had pointed it out, I hadn't realised that "to give it a go" was an Australianism.
      I'm impressed with your knowledge of Australian terms - soon you will be able to add "Australian" to the list of other languages you speak! haha!
      I am hoping to do a painting today - I've really slacked off over the last two weeks. (there's another to add to your collectionl!!)
      I just about got heatstroke hanging out the clothes this morning. We're expecting 36C (97F) here today. Such hot weather for this time of the year - quite scary!
      I wouldn't be surprised to hear that your unseasonally cold weather is also continuing?
      I also enjoy our blog correspondence!
      Have a great day!

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    2. Okay Wendy! Now I will use that expression here in the States. Let's see if it catches on!
      Okay, again, "Slacked Off!" is an expression we also use! Hope you get back to painting soon. I look forward to seeing your wonderful art often! We call someone who doesn't work as hard as he or she should "A Slacker!" That is not a good thing to be called in the U.S.
      Wow! Ninety-seven degrees! Be careful in that heat! Our weather is finally getting a bit warmer! Yesterday we almost had record highs in the seventies! But we have an expression in New England because of our ever changing weather..."If you don't like the weather just wait a minute and it will change!" So true!
      I also enjoy our blog chatting!
      Now, you have "to give it a go" and start painting soon!
      Take care mate!
      Michael

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    3. Oops! had thought "slacker" - and all its derivatives - was Australian. We have so many influences over here from the UK and the US that is it hard to think on the spot as to what is unique to us. It's probably only when people like you point things out like "give it a go" that I realise it's not a universal expression in the English speaking world.

      I have also heard your New England weather expression used in reference to the lovely Australian city of Melbourne.

      Don't you just love the intricacies of language? Have you read the book by Bill Bryson called "Mother Tongue" - very entertaining!

      Nice chatting as always Michael.
      Happy painting!

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  9. Mike,
    I am impressed with your creative style. No matter what goes onto your canvases, it has your flair in it! Who would have thought the young boy who touched up the statue of Mary would be placing her in one of your works of art? Great stories to add to the overall interest - not that your paintings need any other support. And, thanks for adding my blog to your favorite places and for participating in it as well.

    Happy Blessed Easter and Wishes for a Warmer Spring!

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    1. Joe!
      Thank you so much for visiting my little blog and writing such kind words!
      Yes, it is amazing that I got to "paint" the statue way back then and "paint" it again recently!
      I love your wonderful blog. I very much enjoy visiting and taking your photo challenges!
      Thanks again Joe!
      Michael

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  10. Ciao Michael,
    arrivo sempre in ritardo e ormai non posso più augurarti Buona Pasqua, ma posso sempre farti gli auguri per la tua pittura che è già creativa, vivace e originale e chissà i tuoi futuri lavori!
    Questa chiesa mi piace molto per i suoi colori e vedo anche la Madonna in basso a destra...
    Ciao, abbracci, ciao, Floriana

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    1. Ciao My Dear Italian Art Buddy Floriana!
      Happy Easter to you also!
      I am so very happy you like my little church! I am also happy you noticed my small Madonna in the corner of the painting! I love that church. That is my hometown church when I was a little boy! Great memories!
      I love your beautiful art and your wonderful blog!
      Thank you so much for visiting and writing such kind words!
      Ciao! Ciao! Abbracci! My Friend!
      Michael

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