alumni highlight
Blair (Gordy) Piras
Class Year: 2015
Major: Humanities & Catholic Culture
www.blairbarlowart.com
Shortly after graduating from Franciscan in 2015, Blair moved to Florence, Italy with her husband, Emmanuel. There she studied at the Sacred Art School for two years and received a degree in Sacred Painting.
As a teenager Blair began including sacred themes into her art, and became increasingly interested in making art focused on the Catholic faith throughout college. “I knew I needed formal training to worthily convey the teachings and devotions of the faith, and decided to attend the Sacred Art School,” Blair says, “ I was trained in figurative realism, and also like to draw inspiration from the many forms and styles of art the Church has utilized through time.”
When it came to her inspiration for the mosaic, the theme for the image is based on the Marian title, Our Lady of the Angels. For the style, Blair looked to Russian artists like Vasnetsov and Nesterov, who combine realism with the imaginative style of eastern iconography. For the content of the piece, she was inspired by St. Francis’ Canticle of the Sun, saying “I can only thank the Holy Spirit for prompting me to center the piece on the work of poetry by St. Francis. All the elements are designed to be oriented to Christ, who is central in the womb of the Blessed Virgin”. Blair also looked to the eastern theme of Our Lady of the Sign. The seraphim form the shape of the mandorla, or almond in Italian, which represents a doorway between Heaven and Earth and is seen in a lot of medieval representations of Our Lady. The pattern of stars is inspired by the ceiling in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
Blair hopes her painting will inspire students, alumni and friends with contemplation of Franciscan spirituality and that the work is one they can use for prayer. The painting will be placed in front of the rosary circle, where people gather to pray the rosary, it can be used as a visual aid for prayer. “I hope as students pass by it they will say a prayer and find comfort in the loving gazes of Our Lady and Christ. It’s humbling and a joy to know many people will see and pray with the image.”
“I loved the inclusion of sacred images around Florence, on corners, in small niches, “ she says. “I think this image has a similar function as those, it brings to mind the mysteries of our faith, and can serve as a visual reminder to offer small prayers as we go about our day. I hope it will be a thing of beauty that lifts the heart to contemplate God in his creation!”
Thank you Blair!
To read more about the Our Lady of the Angels Mosaic Campaign and learn how you can contribute, visit our Crowdfunding site.