EVERYDAY SAINTS, THE VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE & MOTHER’S DAY!

THE EVERYDAY SAINTS PROJECT

The EVERYDAY SAINTS project has evolved out a sense of gratitude toward many individuals who have impacted my life or the life of others with their unique talents, inherent goodness and generosity. Having studied art history and countless saint images over the years, I can’t help but associate saint-like qualities with certain “everyday” people I have encountered. Do you have any such everyday saints in your life?

THE VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE is our very first EVERYDAY SAINT.

Why? LA VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE is iconic, universal, and relatable to everyone. Why not start with an everyday saint we can all relate to and honor: our MOTHER!

THE IMAGE OF THE MADONNA & CHILD THROUGHOUT HISTORY

If you go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art website and type in Madonna and Child, close to 3,000 images come up in their collection alone.

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, Taddeo Gaddi, Ca. 1340.

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Madonna of the Catacombs, Rome, 3rd century (one of the earliest known images of the madonna and child)

Madonna & Child, C. 1280, Master of the Magdalen, Italian/MET

The Virgin of Guadalupe, Extremadura, Spain, late 12th Century

Carlo Crivelli | Madonna and Child Enthroned,1472| The Met.

IMAGES OF THE MADONNA & CHILD IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

This iconic imagery is just as relevant today in contemporary art.

From Gangs to Art, Fabian:Dora, 2013

“La Virgen de las Calles” by Ester Hernandez, 2001. | Courtesy Of Ester Hernandez.

“Margaret F. Stewart: Our Lady of Guadalupe” by Yolanda Lopez, 1978. | Courtesy Of Yolanda Lopez And The Chicano Studies Research Center At UCLA.

My EVERYDAY SAINTS have included neighbors, friends, hairstylists, colleagues, nurses, doctors, therapists, teachers, mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. The list goes on and on.

We all encounter these people in our lives. Someone that showed you extraordinary kindness in a time of need, or acted as a mother or a father to you when you did not realize that’s what you needed. So, I have created these EVERYDAYSAINT pillows as tokens of gratitude.

My mother-in-law found a Virgin de Guadalupe saint pillow in Mexico and when I saw it, while visiting their home in Puerto Vallarta, I sought to find one just like it.

After searching for quite some time with no luck, I decided to create my own. My talented assistant, Amanda, and I came up with our own saint, that honored this already iconic image, yet was our own unique version.

So here she is. We have created two versions: one with and one without roses.

STUDIO TULLIA’S VERSION

Roses play a part in the legend of the Virgin de Guadalupe and is also relevant to Portland as our city is known as The City of Roses. If you ever come to Portland in the summertime, it will all make sense.

IS THERE A GREATER LOVE?

Is there a greater love and generosity of caring than that of a mother? She seems like the ultimate saint that everyone can relate to in their own way. The Virgin de Guadalupe has become a universal maternal icon for Mexico and beyond for a reason.

I had fun searching for modern V. de Guadalupe images in all sorts of formats. Here are just a few…

SAINTLY GIFTS

How cute is this dress by ArtesaniasCamila, on Etsy.

Or this lovely t-shirt by ModernMayaDesign, on Etsy

I own these fun notecards, available through www.abramsnoterie.com.

How fun is this Virgin of Guadalupe Lapel Pin by www.opensky.com.

These are miniature saint candles by Pixie Hill Studio, on Etsy. I have these on my alter in my home office!

A great backpack available through CatholicCreativity, on Etsy

As seen on www.saintkitsch.blogspot.com.

Courtesy of www.thefolkartgallery.com/

If our Virgin de Guadalupe saint lady speaks to you, I hope that you will purchase one from STUDIO TULLIA for yourself or give one as a token of appreciation to someone else.

Enjoy 20% off La Virgin de Guadalupe EVERYDAY SAINT pillow or any of the PILLOWS from the ST. LORENA COLLECTION, good now through Mother’s Day! SHOP HERE

If you are interested in reading more about the story and symbolism behind THE VIRGIN DE GUADELUPE, go HERE.