Title: "Santa Barbara." St. Barbara was born to a wealthy pagan who hid his beautiful daughter from the world in towers he built for her. While away on a journey, he instructed that a bath be built for her. Barbara instructed the builders to install three windows to represent the Holy Trinity, for she had become a Christian. The bath became the site of countless miracles and was compared to the River Jordan. Upon his return, discovering she was a Christian, her father drew his sword but she leapt from the window and was miraculously transported to the mountains. Her father found her and took her to the authorities to force her to renounce her faith. She refused and was brutally tortured, paraded through the streets and then decapitated by her father. On the way home from the murder, lightning struck him dead. - Excerpted from Lynn Garlick's retablo.
Saint Barbara is the patronness of artillerymen, miners, architects and against lightning strikes. "Saint Barbara, you are stronger than the tower of a fortress and the fury of hurricanes. Do not let lightning hit me, thunder frighten me or the roar of canons jolt my courage or bravery." -Vatican Prayer to Saint Barbara
Artist: Lynn Garlick, Taos, New Mexico. The artist reserves all copyrights.
Media: High quality folk art print decoupaged onto pine board.
Dimensions: 10 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 3/4"
Condition: New.
Speaking of her work, Lynn Garlick says, "The diverse cultures and the landscape of this part of the country deeply and yet unintentionally influenced me both artistically and spiritually. I am nourished by Northern New Mexico's rugged wildness and rawness. The profound devotion found in the different traditions and faiths here are unusual and inspiring."
Moved by the sacred art of the retablos (paintings) and the santeros (saint makers) who made them, Lynn started creating them herself. Lynn hand carves and paints her original designs on the traditionally used Ponderosa pine planks. Then she decoupages high quality prints of her originals onto pine boards in an old school technique used for the Italian altar screens of medieval Europe.
The saints and angels are ready to hang or rest about your home. On the back of each retablo is an inspiring story about the angel or saint. Many of the descriptions also include a prayer. "The saints, angels and prayers have changed and blessed my life. My hope is that they touch and bless others as well.