ACRED ART expresses a saint or other religious figure in various mediums and creative forms. The following images have been executed in two traditional styles: the iconography of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the retablos of Colonial New Mexico. As a recent student of traditional painting mediums and religious themes, Beverly has studied retablo painting with Charles M. Carrillo of Santa Fe; with iconographers Fr. Brendan McAnerney, Fr. David Reinders, and Sheila Green; and through Prosopon School of Iconology of New York, and Sacred Mural Studio of St. Petersburg, Russia. She considers these art forms as works of the spirit and practices of prayer, in which the act of preparing the wood icon boards, applying gesso, mixing pigments, and drawing and painting the image are inscribed in loving attention to detail.

Retablos

Hildegard of Bingen: 12th century German mystic, healer, and seer. Composed plays and music, wrote extensively about herbal medicine, and developed a distinctive theology of the feminine. Many of Hildegard’s visions were transcribed into mandala-type paintings executed in brilliant colors and minute detail. In this image, Hildegard is kneeling at the center of the wheel of life, which she associates with feminine divine figures. Around her is a circle of angels who gaze upon her, enclosing her within “veriditas”—A Latin word Hildegard created to signify the “greening power” of the spirit. The retablo conveys the immanence of veriditas in her theology and the healing properties she derives from plants and nature. In the palms of her hands are green dots, symbolizing her healing gifts.
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