Inktober | Day 11

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #11

Welcome to Day 11 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Sting”, and I chose to reflect on The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Sting”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

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💗 The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Historically, the devotion to the Sacred Heart is an outgrowth of devotion to what is believed to be Christ's sacred humanity. During the first ten centuries of Christianity, there is nothing to indicate that any worship was rendered to the wounded Heart of Jesus. The revival of religious life and the zealous activity of Bernard of Clairvaux and Francis of Assisi in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, together with the enthusiasm of the Crusaders returning from the Holy Land, gave a rise to devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ and particularly to practices in honour of the Sacred Wounds.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart developed out of the devotion to the Holy Wounds, in particular to the Sacred Wound in the side of Jesus. The first indications of devotion to the Sacred Heart are found in the eleventh and twelfth centuries in the fervent atmosphere of the Benedictine or Cistercian monasteries. It is impossible to say with certainty what were its first texts or who were its first devotees.

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The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque are as follows:

1.    I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

2.    I will establish peace in their homes.

3.    I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4.    I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5.    I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6.    Sinners will find in my Heart a fountain of mercy.

7.    Tepid souls shall become fervent.

8.    Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9.    I will bless those places wherein the image of my Sacred Heart shall be exposed and honored.

10.    I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

11.    Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.

12.    In the excessive mercy of my Heart, I will grant the grace of final penitence to those who have                 been devoted to my Sacred Heart.

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🗣 Questions for the Readers

• Favorite time of Day?
• Favorite place to read?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober | Day 10

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #10

Welcome to Day 10 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Sweep”, and I chose to reflect on Saint Catherine of Siena. I chose Saint Catherine (because Miss K suggested it) because she was a servant and probably took on the task of cleaning or "sweeping" the floors.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Sweep”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

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🧹 INSERT BIO TITLE

Saint Catherine of Siena was an Italian mystic and pious laywoman who engaged in papal and Italian politics through extensive letter-writing and advocacy. Canonized in 1461, she is revered as a saint and as a Doctor of the Church due to her extensive theological authorship. She is also considered to have influenced Italian literature.

Born and raised in Siena, Catherine wanted from an early age to devote herself to God, against the will of her parents. She joined the "mantellates", a group of pious women, primarily widows, informally devoted to Dominican spirituality; later these types of urban pious groups would be formalized as the Third Order of the Dominicans, but not until after Catherine's death.[3] Her influence with Pope Gregory XI played a role in his 1376 decision to leave Avignon for Rome. The Pope then sent Catherine to negotiate peace with the Florentine Republic. After Gregory XI's death (March 1378) and the conclusion of peace (July 1378), she returned to Siena. She dictated to secretaries her set of spiritual treatises, The Dialogue of Divine Providence. The Great Schism of the West led Catherine of Siena to go to Rome with the pope. She sent numerous letters to princes and cardinals to promote obedience to Pope Urban VI and to defend what she calls the "vessel of the Church". She died on 29 April 1380, exhausted by her rigorous fasting. Urban VI celebrated her funeral and burial in the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome.

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🗣 Questions for the Readers

• What is the most laborious task you have ever been assigned/done?
• Have you ever swept the floor?
• Longest letter you've ever written?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober | Day 9

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #9

Welcome to Day 9 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Heavy”, and I chose to reflect on The Carrying of the Cross.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Heavy”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

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🕊 The Carrying of the Cross

This was the first idea that came to mind when I saw the prompt “heavy.” I suppose I could’ve done Aquinas or Augustine for their heavy minds filled thoughts. Aquinas was known as the dumb “ox” and oxen are pretty heavy.

And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own garments on him, and they led him out to crucify him. And they forced one Simon a Cyrenian who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross. And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but he took it not. And crucifying him, they divided his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober | Day 7

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #7

Welcome to Day 7 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Starfish”, and I chose to reflect on Our Lady Star of the Sea.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Starfish”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

🎬 Watch the Timelapse on YouTube

⭐ Our Lady Star of the Sea

The title “Our Lady Star of the Sea, or in Latin, Stella Maris” is one of the many titles given to Mary, the Mother of God. It is thought to have arisen from a scribal error in a supposed etymology of the name of Mary.

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🚢 Reflection

Since today’s prompt was “starfish” what better to use Stella Maris for my subject. I’m not too technical on fitting the prompt specifically to the drawing - I’m just trying to fit things that go with the word and obviously there are starfish in the ocean. So let Mary, Stella Maris guide you through the ocean of this life!

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🗣 Questions for the Readers

• Favorite sea shanty?
• Favorite Marian hymn?
• Favorite lake memory?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober | Day 5

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #5

Welcome to Day 5 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Deer”, and I chose to reflect on Saint Rudolph.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Deer”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

🎬 Watch the Timelapse on YouTube

🙏 Saint Rudolph of Gubbio

Saint Rudolph’s feast day is October 17th and he died in 1066. Not much is known about him but I found a few things on Catholic.org, “Benedictine bishop and disciple of St. Peter Damian, also called Rodolph. He spent years under the spiritual care and monastic leadership of St. Peter Damian until about 1061 when, while still young, he was named bishop of Gubbio, Italy. His term bishop was characterized for its remarkable charity.

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🦌 Reflection

As you know I drew Saint Rudolph for the prompt, DEER to play off the famous secular Christmas song, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Obviously Rudolph was one of Santa’s deer.

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🗣 Artist Tag Questions (readers should answer in comments)

• Favorite Christmas song?
• Favorite Saint?
• Favorite fall activity?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober | Day 4

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #4

Welcome to Day 4 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Murky”, and I chose to reflect on Jesus' calming of the Sea of Galilee.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Murky”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

🎬 Watch the Timelapse on YouTube

🐠 Why are You Fearful, O Ye of Little Faith

The title “Sea of Galilee” worked well for this drawing prompt because of the "murkiness" of the storm that took place.

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🛥 Reflection

Matthew Chapter 8 Verse 23-27 And when he entered into the boat, his disciples followed him: And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?

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🗣 Artist Tag Questions

• What is your biggest fear?
• Have you ever been in the in a situation that seemed terrible, but then the situation was not as it seemed? What?
• Where is your favorite place to boat/kayak/canoe?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober | Day 3

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #3

Welcome to Day 3 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Crown”, and I chose to draw a still life scene.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Crown”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

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👑 A still Life

I cannot tell a lie...those are famous lines that George Washington DID NOT SAY after he DID NOT cut down the cherry tree. But I cannot tell a lie when I say that I did use AI to extract a reference photo for this sketch. Because who has a crown just lying around to pose for a still life scene? Not me! In a matter of minutes I had a scene to reference for my still life. And yes, a still life is just as it sounds. STILL, without movement.

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🧶 Reflection

I begin to think after my third drawing, "how am I going to get through 31 days?" I just don't have a ton of time to sketch. And I was contemplating if I should post this one because I like to only post my best work, but again these are simple sketches that take less than a day, so what can I expect. Usually I work on pieces that take a bit longer.

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🗣 Artist Tag Questions

• What is the fastest thing you have ever done?
• What is one thing you wish you could do over again that you've already done?
• Where are you going?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt! (hopefully there will be one...)

Inktober | Day 2

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #2

Welcome to Day 2 of my Inktober challenge! Each day, I’m drawing a different prompt with a simple Catholic twist. Today’s theme is “Weave”, and I chose to reflect on Our Lady, Undoer of Knots.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Weave”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

🎬 Watch the Timelapse on YouTube

🕊 Who is Our Lady, Undoer of Knots?

The title “Undoer of Knots” comes from a 17th-century German devotion that highlights Mary's role in interceding for us—especially when life feels twisted, tangled, or hopeless. She gently untangles the knots caused by sin, wounds, or confusion.

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🧶 Reflection

In today’s drawing, I pictured Mary taking tangled, frayed threads and weaving them into something whole and beautiful. The knots represent our burdens—fear, sin, family wounds—and Mary unknots each one, offering us peace and hope. She doesn't cut the thread; she restores it. That speaks to the mercy and patience of a loving Mother.

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🗣 Artist Tag Questions

• Have you ever felt like your life was tangled in knots? How did you find peace?
• What’s one small “knot” you’d like to ask Our Lady to untie today?
• If your prayer life was a thread, how would you describe it right now—frayed, flowing, or being gently rewoven?

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Thanks for following along! I’ll be posting a new Catholic-themed Inktober drawing every day. Check back tomorrow for the next prompt!

Inktober Day 1

🖊 Inktober Artist Tag – Day #1

Welcome to my Inktober series! If you're new to it, Inktober is a drawing challenge where artists draw one ink-based drawing every day for the month of October. I remember participating in this challenge in high school art class but have never done it since. I kind of forgot about it until I stumbled upon it searching for drawing tags for my blog.

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Today’s Drawing Prompt: “Mustache”

⏱️ Drawing Timelapse:

🎬 Watch the Timelapse on YouTube

🌿 Saint Spotlight: St. Philip Neri

St. Philip Neri (1515–1595) was an Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory. Known as the "Apostle of Rome," he combined deep spirituality with an infectious sense of humor. He often used joy and gentle humor to disarm pride and draw others to Christ. Philip believed holiness should be filled with joy and simplicity. He once walked through the streets with half his beard shaved to humble himself and keep vanity in check. His playful nature and sincere heart made him a beloved spiritual father to many.

🎨 Artist Q&A

1. What would a modern-day saint with a mustache look like in your art style?

He would probably look like a 21st century man.

2. Which saint do you think had the most “art-friendly” features to draw?

For some reason the female saints are seem easier to draw...

3. Do you ever include humor in your religious artwork?

I've never added humor.

4. Have you ever drawn a saint or religious figure just for fun?

Yes many times. A lot of my blog posts were just for fun.

5. If you could illustrate a children’s book about one saint, who would it be?

Maybe St Philip Neri. It would show children that saints can be humorous too.

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🖋️ Thanks for following along with today’s Inktober post! If you’re doing the challenge too, or just want to answer the Q&A questions, feel free to tag yourself and join the fun. I’d love to see your artwork and reflections! And if you have additional questions for me to answer during this inktober series please submit them to me in the comments or through the contact form!

And don’t forget to check out my brother’s writing project at The Scripted Scroll—he’s chronicling his own creative challenge this month.

Reference Photo

Hand-Drawn Artwork

– Esteban