Response to a contemporary artwork

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Smith Catholic Art

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-immaculate-heart-of-mary-smith-catholic-art.html

I can't post the photo directly to this post, but follow the link above to see the painting. You can click on the image to high resolution zoom.

This painting shows depth and dimension of Mary, though she is placed on a flat background. Her extending arm and face are very realistic and soft against the organic, bright background. The typical halo that is usually found around Mary is almost secretly placed within the background, shown by a lighter yellow than the rest of the image.

The "Immaculate Heart" is very modern looking, almost tattoo-ish. The draping of the fabric, shown with jagged lines and sharp block shapes of color is much more digital looking than the face and arms which look hyper realistic.

"Smith Catholic Art is a family art studio and apostolate begun in 2001. It is in part a response to Pope John Paul II's 1999 Letter to Artists and is our endeavor to make visual some of the beauty and richness of our Catholic faith. "