The Call to Prayer

$15.00$50.00

The call to prayer in a monastery is initiated by the bells, bringing the brothers or sisters in from work, calling them to take a break and render homage to God.

 

Prints larger than 5×7 are archival giclee prints, prints larger than 8×10 are drop shipped from an accredited giclee archival print company. Please note that drop shipping can take up to 5 business days to ship, and that larger prints always take longer. Thank you for your patience!!!

 

Scroll down to read more about the painting!

SKU: N/A Categories: Tag:

Description

Seven times a day the monastery stops to pray. The call to prayer is initiated by the bells, bringing the brothers or sisters in from work, calling them to take a break and render homage to God.

This call to prayer can be repeated in our daily lives though we are not in a monastery. Pausing throughout the day to say a quick prayer in our hearts, going to mass or adoration, praying a rosary, adding one (or all seven) Liturgies of the Hours, or a host of other things. Whatever works.

Remembering that there are men and women who have dedicated their whole lives to prayer – those in monasteries and convents, priories and abbeys – reminds me to slow down. Life is not about getting everything done. It’s not about being the most efficient. It’s about loving God. That’s it. Even if we did nothing else with our lives that would be enough.

__________________________

Painted during a still life painting workshop with artist Christina Grace Mastrangelo, this was my first still life since school. Painting from life takes on a whole different set of skills to accurately draw what you’re seeing, and in almost every way is superior for learning than drawing from photos which have been already flattened by the camera.

It’s a skill that I’ve been… well, lazy and intimidated to tackle until I found this workshop.

One of my all time least favorite things to do is find objects for still lifes. What do I paint? What will be interesting but not too complicated? What will look good together? I’m so uninspired by the objects already in my house.

But since starting Outpouring of Trust and dedicating all my art to God, there’s been a fire and freedom set in my heart. Choose a Catholic topic and I am inspired because it’s no longer something I want to paint, it’s something I paint for God and for others.

I hunted through antique stores with the idea to choose objects that would describe a Saint (which will be a future topic for still lifes!), and I found this bell. It Was Perfect. Instantly I remembered the bells of a convent, especially how many convents use a bell just like this to walk the halls and wake the sisters from sleep.

Almost immediately I knew what my other two objects would be – fabric for flow that would be a natural weave, similar to the simplicity of a habit without being habit fabric, and the Breviary, opened. Was I insane? How did I think I would be able to make the text look good.

But Christina taught me the technique for capturing the essence of the text without perfectly rendering every letter so it both looks correctly “blurred” from afar (as text does look when it’s this small) and has the hint of clarity from up close, and if you’re really dedicated you could read the whole page.

And it turned out so good. This is the first of a series of still life paintings on the types of prayer/spirituality. If you have an idea for a still life you would like me to paint for you, send me an email at outpouringoftrust@gmail.com!

_______________________

Purchase does not include frame.

Staging photos are not necessarily accurate representations of the size of the image, but simply give an idea of the image in a room. Please measure your actual wall before deciding.

Images subject to copyright, copyright Monica Skrzypczak. Do not reproduce without explicit written permission. To use the image in print at your parish, or any other use, feel free to email me with the project and number of copies estimated for a quote on a temporary license.

Additional information

Size

5"x7", 5"x7" with a mat (outside is 8"x10"), 8"x10", 8"x10 with a mat (outside 11"x14"), 11"x14"

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “The Call to Prayer”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shipping

While many items are made to order, I always strive to get your order out by the next shipping day – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I ship First Class USPS which generally takes 2-4 days after that to arrive at your house.

Prints are usually drop shipped and will take 2-5 days to ship, sometimes longer for extra large prints.

Feel free to contact me if you need an order faster!

Read about shipping and returns

Your Impact

For every order, 10% of all proceeds will go to organizations who provide resources to at risk women before and after birth.

The first is The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford. They area a local organization to me,  providing resources and care for free to women in crisis pregnancies, from ultrasounds to parenting classes to post abortion healing.

The second is the Sisters of Life, a newer religious community founded in 1991 in New York to promote the dignity of every human life. They have houses for women to come live with them during and after their pregnancy as they get back on their feet, as well as counseling for post abortion healing, and other missions.

About the artist

Hi! I’m Monica Skrzypczak; an oil painter and rosary maker with a passion for creating beauty and bringing faith into every home. Feel free to contact me to commission a painting or a custom rosary!

Follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see what I’m up to!

Support my work!