Painted Blessing

Introduction

Cynthia Padilla, travels the world researching art, design and cultures…wood block printing while in Thailand; creating Rangoli style sand painting in India; Glazed tiles in Italy and Portugal; Multi layered mola fabrics in Honduras (her ancestral home); Icon painting in Greece; Retablo painting and bulto carving in New Mexico; Mask making in Guatemala. Padilla enthusiastically shares these findings in unique cultural arts and programming to museums, universities, organizations, workshop/retreat centers and art & fine crafts galleries across the United States, Canada and Central America.

Behold the Man

Our Lady of Sorrows

Santo Nino de Atocha

Niño de Atocha, Christ-child of Atocha, Child of Atocha,Infant of Atocha, El Santo Nino de Atocha. Patron saint of the unjustly imprisoned. He also protects travelers and rescues people in danger.

Soul of Mary

Retablo Workshop

PAINTED BLESSINGS: THE ART OF THE RETABLO AND EX VOTO
A retablo is a painted tin or wooden plaque traditionally depicting religious images or saints. Often painted by naive or untrained itinerant artists, these small paintings were created as offerings for miracles or to ensure health, fertility, and abundant crops.
Narrative stories, addressed to a patron saint, [ex votos] were often included as part of the painted devotional piece.
Commemorate significant occasions, people or events in your lives by painting highly personalized retablo.

Handouts of the names of saints and the roles they play will be provided so that you can find the appropriate saint for your retablo.

Option - Longer workshops then gild the finished retablo with silver or gold metal leaf.

Option - Longer workshops include field trips to area churches and museums.

Retablo Exhibition

St Agnes

SAINT AGNES, AGNES OF ROME Patronage engaged couples, gardeners, Girl Scouts, girls, crops, chastity, rape victims.

Archangel Michael

SAINT MICHAEL, SAN MIGUEL, MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL Patron saint of artists, police officers, sailors, the sick, children, bakers, bankers, banking, battle, paratroopers, boaters, danger or storms at sea, emergency medical technicians, fencing, grocers, haberdashers, holy death, mariners, milliners, paramedics, radiologists, security forces, security guards, soldiers. Invoked against temptations.

St Agatha

SAINT AGATHA Patronage against breast cancer, breast disease, fire, earthquakes, natural disasters. Patron saint of jewelers, nurses.

St Anthony

SAINT ANTHONY, SAN ANTONIO, ANTHONY OF LISBON (or PADUA)
Finder of lost things…lost faith, lost animals, lost keys. Patronage of the poor, the elderly, amputees, travelers, boatmen/fishermen/ mariners/sailors, peacemakers, American Indians, bountiful harvests, the home, mail, children, expectant mothers, horses, swineherds, travel hostesses, those in peril. Invoked against fire, shipwrecks, starvation. Sought to find husbands for unmarried women.

St Cecilia

SAINT CECILIA Patronage vocalists, composers, martyrs, music, musicians, poets, singers.

St Dorothy

SAINT DOROTHY Patronage brides, midwives, newlyweds, brewers, florists, gardeners. Invoked against lightning, fire, thieves.

St Francis

SAINT FRANCIS Patronage peace, families, all needs, animal societies, animals, birds, merchants, tapestry weavers. Watches over those dying alone.

Virgin de Guadalupe

GUADALUPE Patronage against all ills, war, evil.

St John

SAINT JOHN, JOHN THE APOSTLE Patronage friendships, art dealers, bookbinders, booksellers, editors, theologians, engravers, painters, papermakers, poisoning, publishers, writers.

St Jude

SAINT JUDE Patron saint of lost causes. Invoked in seemingly impossible situations. Watches over hospital workers, hospitals.

St Katherine

SAINT CATHERINE, SAINT KATHERINE Patronage scholars, philosophers, students, teachers, unmarried women, dying people, attorneys, educators, jurists, librarians, mechanics, nurses, potters, preachers, theologians.

St Luke

SAINT LUKE Patronage artists, bachelors, surgeons, bookbinders, doctors, glassworkers, gold workers, notaries, painters, physicians, sculptors, stained glass workers, brewers, butchers.

St Martin

SAINT MARTIN OF PORRES Patronage barbers, hair stylists, hairdressers, hotel-keepers, innkeepers, inter-racial justice, mixed-race people, racial harmony, African-Americans, social justice, the poor, public education, public health, public schools, television, against rats.