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”

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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.

Credit

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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!

Miss K Begins to Draw

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Hello, readers of Esteban's blog! This is Miss K, Esteban's sister. I used to draw and paint in middle school art class, but then high school and college came along and I decided I didn't have any time. Fast forward eight years, and...I've started drawing again, partly in thanks to Esteban's encouragement (he's always telling my siblings and I how anyone can draw, "just look at it in shapes") and partly because I can bring a hobby to the monastery. I wanted to begin working on my skills before my free time is limited. :) 

I wasn't planning on doing a post so unfortunately, I don't have any progress pictures. 

Last October, I decided to draw St. Therese of Lisieux because she is one of my favorites and it was the month of her feast day, but...it took me five months to finish! The wimple was definitely the hardest. What's a wimple, you may ask? It's part of a religious sister's or nun's (yes, there's a difference!) habit that covers the head, neck, cheeks, and chin. It was originally worn by women in the medieval times, but now (sadly) only a select few communities of religious still wear them. 

Anyway, I think I asked Esteban about 100 times "How do I make the folds/wrinkles while still keeping it white?". His answer for every question: "Draw what you see, not what you know!". That phrase is going to be stuck in my head forever. After a few times of erasing it entirely, I was happy with the result. :) It really does make a difference when you break it up into shapes and different shades. 

About a month later, I drew St. Catherine of Siena for her feast day, but she's also one of my favorites (and a patron saint of mine...does that give my first name away?). I gifted this one to a friend who's also named after her. This one was definitely much harder to draw- closed eyelids, hands, Crown of Thorns, Rosary, flowers, and the crucifix. I'm really happy with the result though! I added my favorite quote from her: "He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely." 

Finally, my most recent drawing...St. John Bosco! You guessed it, he's also one of my favorites! There are so many wonderful saints for every occasion in life, so how could I just pick one favorite? ;) He was by far the hardest because I had to draw ears, folded hands, and hair. I think I prefer drawing veils over hair...

Mine vs. reference

However, I was happy with the result because someone guessed it was St. John Bosco based on the curly hair, one of the hardest parts! Also, I made some great progress comparing start to finish. I tried to draw on smaller paper and Esteban looked at it and said very nicely "It would be easier to draw him on bigger paper." He was right! Thanks, Esteban! ;) 

I just laugh at this drawing now, but I had to start somewhere! 

Next up, I'll be drawing St. Gemma Galgani because...she too is one of my favorites!

What do you think? Which drawing is your favorite? Have you ever drawn anything? 

Until next time,

-Miss K