Search Results for: mother mary

When I saw the order in my Etsy Shop for 3 Flying Vulva buttons and a pack of Mother Mary postcards, I thought it the perfect combination.

The idea for my Flying Vulva came from the ancient goddess culture, where vulvas were depicted on all kinds of art as a symbol of life-giving power.  My Flying Vulva represents a woman’s power and the right to freedom in all areas of her life.

There are many interpretations of Mother Mary around the world and through the years.  I believe that she is a descendant of the ancient goddesses.  Worshiped by women as they had done for thousands of years before the idea of a single male god.

My interpretation of Mother Mary is about creativity.  She’s a part of everyday life, not worshiped at a distance.

So for me, my Mother Mary and Flying Vulvas are a good combination of feminist power, creativity, freedom, and finding the divine within ourselves as well as in everyday life.

Throughout the world, there are many interpretations of Mother Mary. Mine was inspired by the art room of teacher Sue Silverstein at Bishop Maginn High School.

A statue of Mother Mary stands on the counter in Sue’s classroom among the paint and pencils, not separate from the class, but a  part of it.  It was that statue, being in that nourishing creative space, that inspired my idea for Mother Mary.

Now that Bishop Maginn is closed, my original fiber painting of Mother Mary will hang in Sue’s new classroom at Bishop Gibbons. (Mother Mary was generously donated to Sue by one of the readers of my blog)

My vision of Mother Mary holds paintbrushes in her hands.  I’ve come to see her as Mother Mary for all of us who create in one way or another.

This morning I picked up my postcards of Mother Mary at A&M Printers in town.  Each postcard is 4″x6″ and they come in packs of six.  They’re $12 including shipping.  You can buy them in my Etsy Shop, just click here. 

And if you don’t like using Etsy, you can email me at [email protected].  I take checks, PayPal and Venmo. 

“Yesterday we did the Stations of The Cross as told by the Blessed Mother” Sue texted me.  With it was a picture of the kids and my Mother Mary. 

When I was making my Mother Mary, I never would have imagined she would enter the world in this way.

I’m not exactly sure what the Stations of the Cross are, but I looked on Bishop Maginn’s Facebook page and there are pictures of lots of different kids standing at the podium with Mother Mary next to them, doing readings.  I especially loved seeing the faces of the kids I got to know this past year.

Sue knows how to bring the Catholic religion into everyday life in a positive way.  That’s a lesson I never learned growing up Catholic. But I see it very clearly with the students of Bishop Maginn.

I got my Mother Mary magnets today.  They’re 2″x4″ and are $7 each including shipping. You can buy them in my Etsy Shop, just click here.

My original fabric painting is hanging in Sue Silverstein’s art room at Bishop Maginn thanks to Kathye who bought it and gave it to Sue.

If you missed any part of my making Mother Mary, you can see the whole process from beginning to Magnet here.

I’m making my Mother Mary into a magnet.  She’ll be about 2″x 4″ and the magnets will be $7 each including shipping.

Above is the proof from Sticker Mule the company I use to make the magnets. I’m supposed to get them by the 11th, but they often come earlier.  As soon as I  get them I’ll put them up for sale in my Etsy Shop.

I plan on making postcards too.

The students and teachers are still adjusting to the news that Bishop Maginn will be closing at the end of the year, so I think we brought Mother Mary on just the right day.

It was a quick visit.  I was there to deliver Mother Mary and Jon to discuss how he and the Army of Good could help with the Prom.  It will be the last one and all the students who want to will attend, not just the graduating class.   In a way, it will be a celebration of the school.

Sue told us that after we left she hung Mother Mary by her desk in her art room and found comfort in her being there.

What more could I want for her. As long as she is with Sue and her students, my Mother Mary is right where she is supposed to be.

(Jon will be writing about raising money for the Prom later this week and I’ll let you know what the plans are for it too.)

I sang along to Paul McCartney singing  Let It Be  as I stitched my “MW” on the bottom of my Mother Mary.  I’ll miss having her on the wall in my studio, but I’m also very happy that today we’ll bring her to Sue Silverstein at Bishop Maginn.  Thanks again to Kathye for buying my fabric painting for Sue and making this possible.

On the back of the piece, I wrote a note to Sue thanking her for introducing me to the Blessed Mother. It was in her  Art classroom at Bishop Maginn that I came to know Mother Mary as someone who can hold paintbrushes in her hands as well as prayers.

Last night Sue Silverstein called Jon and me and told us that Bishop Maginn High School was closing at the end of the school year for financial reasons.

As sad as it is, it’s not all bad news.  Sue will be teaching at a Catholic school nearby and many of the Refugee students will be going with her.  Some of them will receive a grant to pay their tuition.

The new school has more resources so the kids will have more opportunities.  Jon wrote about the move beautifully on his blog you can read all about it here. 

Mother Mary will be going to the new school too.  When Sue told us that Bishop Maginn was closing she sent me a text about Mother Mary.  She wrote…

“I am unbearably honored to have had someone buy this quilt for me and my kids. I will take it with me where ever I am. Just like high five Jesus (the statue of Jesus in the lobby of the school), it will keep us safe with the love from both of you and Mary who never fails me.  I am honored and humbled. “

Jon and Zinnia are invited to the new school and the refugee kids and their families will still need help from the Army of Good.  And I’ll go with them when I can.  There’s still the rest of the school year to go at Bishop Maginn so I’ll be back there sewing with Paris and Hser Nay and anyone else who wants to learn.

I finished sewing the blue lace on Mother Mary today. Now I just have to put the backing on her.

I’ll bring her to Sue at Bishop Maginn in two weeks after the Winter break.  So Mother Mary will get to hang in Sue’s wonderful art room at Bishop Maginn for a little while at least.  And I have no doubt that she’ll fit right in at Sue’s new classroom next year.

Today I received a check in the mail for my Blessed Mother Mary.   Last week Kathye sent me an email asking if she could buy her for Sue Silverstein.

“What Sue provides those children day after day, year after year, is the work of many angels. She represents so much good and hope and all that is right in our world. And the light that you two incredible women bring truly comforts my 70 year old soul! ”  Kathye wrote me.

I  have to say that Kathye brings her own light. The making, giving, and receiving of this fabric painting gives all three of us something to feel good about.

Kathye wasn’t the only one who wanted to buy the piece for Sue, that’s one of the reasons I knew it belonged to her.  Besides the fact that it was Sue and being in her classroom, teaching sewing, that inspired me to make Mother Mary.

In Kathye’s card she wrote that she saw a warmth in Mother Mary that made her “want to walk up to her and hug her..and to feel her hug as well.” 

I don’t think I could ask for a better compliment than that.  Although I know that I wasn’t alone making my version of Mother Mary.