St. Thomas of Canterbury

I am always reading Jacobus de Voragine’s The Golden Legend, a compendium of Christian saints, their histories and apocrypha. This is a sketch that I’ve come up with for St. Thomas of Canterbury, also known as Thomas Becket. He suffered a pretty bad wounding to the head from King Henry’s men and is often depicted with a sword through his head. I’ve drawn from my love for anatomical illustration to show him with his brain exposed and holding a slice of his preserved brain. An abhorrence to nightingales is also ascribed to Becket, who is said to have been so disturbed in his devotions by the song of a nightingale that he commanded that none should sing in the town ever again. Here are some nailed to the wall of this study. As Thomas was chastising a priest for his excessive devotions and masses to the Virgin Mary, the Virgin appeared to the priest and told the priest that Thomas would find his hairshirt mended with red thread. Thomas had put the shirt under his bed to mend it later. Thomas found his hairshirt was indeed mended with red thread and he gave the priest dispensation to continue to honor the Virgin. Here you can see her through the window with her red thread.

I really enjoy cobbling together these scenes of the true and not so true. Hopping across the threshold of accuracy and apocrypha. When I finish one of these, more than my other works, I know that no one else could have made this particular composition with these particular images. I like to convey the impression that it was impossible to get to this image, and yet it exists, because I made it up.

St. Stephen's Day

  This is an acrylic painting on acid-free paper 9" x 11". It is a symbolic painting of St. Stephen and the lore around St. Stephen's Day.
   St. Stephen was known as the patron saint of widows, so he is flanked by two women in Victorian mourning dresses. At the feet of the woman on the left sit three balls. St. Stephen is often depicted with three stones to indicate that he was put to death by stoning. Here the three balls stand in for the three stones. The widow on the left is also holding a dead wren. According to lore, St. Stephen was about to escape his captivity when a wren woke up his captors. Since that time, a wren was caught and killed each St. Stephen's Day because it must now take a part of his martyrdom.
   St. Stephen is often depicted as a young man holding a miniature church. Here he is depicted as a child, also holding a church in miniature. To the right of St.Stephen is a rocking horse with bleeding legs. St. Stephen's Day, in medieval through Victorian times, was a day to bleed horses in order to preserve their health in the coming year.
   Ancient Welsh custom, discontinued in the 19th century, included the "holming" (beating or slashing with holly branches) of late risers and female servants. My widow on the right is holding a branch of holly to remind us of this forgotten tradition.
   St. Stephen's Day is the day after Christmas, that is why the candles are just put out in the wreath at the center of the composition.
   St. Stephen's Day. Original, one of a kind art by Julie K. Schuler. The "My Good Babushka" watermark in the first picture is not on the actual painting, but is included here for security purposes.

St. Stephen's Day

St. Stephen is often depicted as a young man holding a miniature church. Here he is depicted as a child, also holding a church in miniature. St. Stephen's Day is the day after Christmas, that is why the candles are just put out in the wreath at the center of the composition.
You can see the finished St. Stephens' Day Painting and read more about St. Stephen's lore at My Good Babushka.

St. Stephen's Day

The widow on the left is also holding a dead wren. According to lore, St. Stephen was about to escape his captivity when a wren woke up his captors. Since that time, a wren was caught and killed each St. Stephen's Day because it must now take a part of his martyrdom.
You can see the completed  St. Stephen's Day Painting at My Good Babushka.

St. Anastasia, Protectress from Poisons, Patroness of Weavers

Here is the finished painting of St. Anastasia:

 

 Saint Anastasia was an early Christian martyr known as a deliverer from poisons, exorcist, and patroness of weavers. This is a painting devoted to her and full of symbolism. The birds are golden weavers because she is the patroness of weavers. In the background, flanking the apothecary cabinet are angel trumpets and foxglove, both very poisonous plants, because she is a deliverer from poisons.

The top of the apothecary cabinet is inscribed with the Latin "Satana Ipse Venina Bibas" which translates into "Satan, take the poison yourself." because she is a noted exorcist. The apothecary cabinet is filled with nine herbs- mugwort, plantain, betony, chamomile, nettle, crab apple, chervil, and fennel- because those are the nine plants named in the ancient Anglo-Saxon nine herb charm that was supposed to be a powerful antidote against poisons, mainly snake venom. In the corner of the apothecary cabinet is the golden weaver bird's nest.

There is a frog at the base of the left potted foxglove, very often thought in medieval time to be venomous, and inhabiting areas of unhealthful miasmas. The saint's dress in raveling and the thread is tangled up in a witch bottle. A bottle with tangled string is called a witch bottle, it is a labyrinth in brief, and if you put a witch bottle outside your home, it was thought to confuse witches and other evil entities and prevent them from coming into your home. Next to the witch bottle is a drop spindle, another sign of the weaver. On the right side corner of the painting is a jar of bezoars, supposed to have great medicinal value in the middle ages. An amphibaena is brought to heel at her hand, the amphisbaena anciently believed to be a reptile with a head at either end of it's body which can poison by it's eyes.

Amongst all these symbols of ancient to medieval wonder and miracle, Saint Anastasia sits offering the apple, the symbol of knowledge, freedom from superstition and folklore, but also a symbol of the fall from grace and of our mortality.

This is an original painting, approximately 8" x 10". Painted and signed by Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler. The black borders and "My Good Babushka" watermark are not on the actual painting. 

You can find purchasing information here at My Good Babushka

St. Anastasia, Patroness of Weavers, Protectress against Poisons

I've finished my herbs on the shelf for my Anglo-Saxon nine herbs charm, an ancient medicine against venom, with the final additions of chervil and fennel. In the right corner of the second shelf is a golden weaver's nest. the hem of her dress is unraveling and the tangled bit of thread is enclosed in a witch bottle. A witch bottle is a labyrinth in miniature and it is said that evil will get lost amongst the convoluted paths of the thread. Witch bottles were hung outside of houses to ward off bad spirits. Next to the witch bottle is a drop spindle, another sign of the weaver. And at the base of the potted  foxglove on the left is a frog, which were thought to be venomous and to inhabit areas of unhealthful miasmas, like swamps.

St Anastasia

St. Anastasia was a deliverer from poisons and potions, so in her apothecary cabinet I'm putting the nine herbs from the ancient Anglo-Saxon nine herbs charm that was thought to be an antidote for poison, especially venomous bits. So far I've gotten mugwort, plantain, watercress, and betony into their jars.

St. Anastasia Protectress Against Poisons, Patroness of Weavers

In my portrait of St. Anastasia, so far, I have golden weaver birds because she is the patron saint of weavers. She was an exorcist, so her apothecary cabinet says "Satana, Ipse Venina Bibas" translated- "Satan, Take the Poison Yourself". The first two herbs in the jars on the shelf are mugwort and plantain, the first two herbs of the ancient Anglo-Saxon nine herb charm that was an antidote for snake poisoning. Growing in the background are to angel trumpet plants, very toxic, highly poisonous plants that remain under her watchful care.

St. Anastasia Patroness of Weavers and Protectress from Poisons

Because St. Anastasia is a Patroness of Weavers, I've begun my painting with some golden weaver birds. St. Anastasia was also an exorcist, so on her apothecary cabinet is inscribed the Latin phrase "Satana Ipse Venina Bibas" which translates to "Satan, take the poison yourself."

Didymus

I have finished Didymus. Here is how the completed work looks:

This painting is inspired by my reading of The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine. He wrote a compendium of the saints. This one in particular is for St. Thomas the Apostle. Thomas was called the twin of Jesus, also Didymus, which means twin. I have represented Thomas as conjoined twins. Conjoined twins reinforce the notion of a spiritual connectivity, as feeling and living in the same body must give a unique connectivity that transcends what most people will ever experience. This particular twin configuration was inspired by the Tocci twins, Giacomo and Giovanni. Giacomo and Giovanni Tocci were conjoined twins born in Italy in the late 19th century.

Saint Thomas was an architect. So I've represented that with the building tools and the birdhouse. The holy spirit is usually represented as a dove, so I thought a birdhouse would be a most appropriate construction. The other hand is covered in blood because Thomas was a doubter, and he could only be convinced of the resurrection by putting his hand in the wound of Christ. The closure on the front of the jacket is in the shape of a Y, echoing the Y incision that a doctor would use in an autopsy. It is a wound that signifies inquiry and investigation.

This is an original painting by Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler, acrylic on acid free paper 8" x 10"
The "My Good Babushka" watermark is for security purposes and is not on the painting.

You can find purchasing information Here at My Good Babushka.

Didymus

 Sharpening up the details of the right side twin and figuring out how to get the floor on that side sorted out.

If you're new to this painting:
This painting is inspired by my reading of The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine. He wrote a compendium of the saints. This one in particular is for St. Thomas the Apostle. Thomas was called the twin of Jesus, also Didymus, which means twin. I have represented Thomas as conjoined twins. Conjoined twins reinforce the notion of a spiritual connectivity, as feeling and living in the same body must give a unique connectivity that transcends what most people will ever experience. This particular twin configuration was inspired by the Tocci twins, Giacomo and Giovanni. Giacomo and Giovanni Tocci were conjoined twins born in Italy in the late 19th century. Saint Thomas was an architect. So I've represented that with the building tools and the birdhouse. The holy spirit is usually represented as a dove, so I thought a birdhouse would be a most appropriate construction. The other hand is covered in blood because Thomas was a doubter, and he could only be convinced of the resurrection by putting his hand in the wound of Christ. The closure on the front of the jacket is in the shape of a Y, echoing the Y incision that a doctor would use in an autopsy. It is a wound that signifies inquiry and investigation.

Didymus

Worked on the second face, right side curtains, floorboards, straightening up some of that wallpaper pattern today.

This painting is inspired by my reading of The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine. He wrote a compendium of the saints. This one in particular is for St. Thomas the Apostle. Thomas was called the twin of Jesus, also Didymus, which means twin. I have represented Thomas as conjoined twins. Conjoined twins reinforce the notion of a spiritual connectivity, as feeling and living in the same body must give a unique connectivity that transcends what most people will ever experience. This particular twin configuration was inspired by the Tocci twins, Giacomo and Giovanni. Giacomo and Giovanni Tocci were conjoined twins born in Italy in the late 19th century. Saint Thomas was an architect. So I've represented that with the building tools and the birdhouse. The holy spirit is usually represented as a dove, so I thought a birdhouse would be a most appropriate construction. The other hand is covered in blood because Thomas was a doubter, and he could only be convinced of the resurrection by putting his hand in the wound of Christ. The closure on the front of the jacket is in the shape of a Y, echoing the Y incision that a doctor would use in an autopsy. It is a wound that signifies inquiry and investigation.

Didymus

 Some bits of the wall paper need to be reworked, but I felt like moving on and doing the face. I also need to fix up that hand.

This painting is inspired by my reading of The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine. He wrote a compendium of the saints. This one in particular is for St. Thomas the Apostle. Thomas was called the twin of Jesus, also Didymus, which means twin. I have represented Thomas as conjoined twins. Conjoined twins reinforce the notion of a spiritual connectivity, as feeling and living in the same body must give a unique connectivity that transcends what most people will ever experience. This particular twin configuration was inspired by the Tocci twins, Giacomo and Giovanni. Giacomo and Giovanni Tocci were conjoined twins born in Italy in the late 19th century. Saint Thomas was an architect. So I've represented that with the building tools and the birdhouse. The holy spirit is usually represented as a dove, so I thought a birdhouse would be a most appropriate construction. The other hand is covered in blood because Thomas was a doubter, and he could only be convinced of the resurrection by putting his hand in the wound of Christ. The closure on the front of the jacket is in the shape of a Y, echoing the Y incision that a doctor would use in an autopsy. It is a wound that signifies inquiry and investigation.