My life while creating the painting was enhanced by grace. Inspiration and goodness enabled me to create the painting. If you diagrammed my life before, during, and after the project, the time during would be as a mountain peak and the surrounding time would be flatter. God’s graces were abundant and Mary’s presence was tangible. One night before falling asleep in my room at the parish rectory I saw a small statue of Mary perfectly framed between my window blinds. The statue was in a classroom window in the parish school across the parking lot and reminded me of Mary’s comforting presence.

Most Reverend Steven Raica, Bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord blessed the painting on June 1st, 2018. Having the digital painting reference completed beforehand, I began work the 14th of May and completed the painting on May 30th, with 13 days of work. I would begin work each day after 8:00AM Morning Prayer with the All Saints Parish staff, and would finish the day between 7-9:00PM with a lunch break in between.

“The artwork “The Crucifixion” points toward the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and follows the words of Jesus from Luke 23:46: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. The painting accompanies the focal point of the liturgy, evincing the paradoxical nature of the cross, where Jesus’ abandonment to the Father’s will bridges light into our darkness.”