The Face of Mary

NORBERTO C. NAZARENO

The sketch speaks for itself.

I have lately been tracing portraits with colored pencils on 12 x16 canvas. The idea is to get the features of my subjects as accurate as I could. The expert artists would traditionally extend an arm with a pencil on hand or thumb to measure. Well, they did not have the benefit of technology then. Now I enlarge the picture, paste it under the canvass, and trace it under a lamp. Many say I have captured the likeness thinking I did it with freehand. I shyly confessed… I traced it.

I have done about a hundred of them at this time. Lately, I again came across an article about Our Lady of Guadalupe, emphasizing that it was a self-portrait of Mary bearing the child Jesus in her stomach to Juan Diego, a simple poor farmer.  So, I asked myself, why not trace her ‘self-portrait” done by heavenly brush with the hope that I can then capture the real image of Our Blessed Mother? I further surfed and found out that what has been popular was a retouched version.  I eventually got and traced an “original” copy. My rendition in plain shades of red and brown, as my wife, Evelyn, suggested, ala Amorsolo’s plain the ‘Girl with Mangoes.’

I worked this sketched out in stages. The first was just the essential features: the dimension, the eyes, the nose, and the mouth; the shape and size of the face. As I was working on it, I had musical artist, Ashana* and her Ave Maria playing in the background.  It was my prayer, I told Evelyn, as I was on it. One song of Ashana, which lasts for about 9 minutes, is equivalent to one decade. I did it with many decades – a “million strokes” of prayers.

I was finishing the first stage while getting my car washed. After the boys cleaned the car, I eagerly showed them my drawing on the right, and one of them said: “Mama Mary!”  I was delighted as it was a confirmation from a poor wash-your-car boy that I was tracing the right and true image of our Blessed Mother. Well – I wanted to believe so! Then appeared during the final touches, without me being conscious of it, the letter “M” under her nose. Look, I told Evelyn, another confirmation of Mama Mary!

It is a pretty face. Evelyn said she was God’s choice in the first place, the woman who bore His Son; the woman whose one title is  ‘The Mother of God!’ It is a simple pretty face. I am sure it is simpler and prettier inside, as she was a person who “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19):  her joys, her obedience, her humiliation, her sorrows, her sufferings, her love.  These reflected on her self-portrait.

She was not an attractive Hollywood face – all made up. She was not a lady depicted by adorned Marian statues – all dressed up. She was a barrio girl from a small town who lived and dressed simply. I was wondering why she was not looking forward in this self-portrait. I came to conclude that she was staring down to reflect her humility, despite the sun, the stars, the moon, the power and glory that surrounded her. She was there, standing in quiet, carrying Jesus in her womb. Her face came alive as I stared in awe, blessed and happy with the results of my tracing. We go on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, to Fatima, to Manaog, to Antipolo. Here she was, in a private revelation as she appeared on the canvass.

Thank you, Blessed Mother, for revealing yourself in this way in the “tilma” (a simple cloak of Indian origin) on the canvass. It is a great privilege with your loving care all these years to come alive in this simple portrait. Your enigma still leaves us with our imaginations to reflect on how you look, who you are for each of us as we encounter you in our private revelations. Please do not forget to:” Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death,’  for you are our number one intercessor who shows the way to Jesus.

SEE The Face of Mary, Discover – Links

https://www.whitebutterfly.ph/2021/01/31/the-face-of-mary-2/

SEE ASHANA under People Who Inspire Link.  

https://youtu.be/k-8KNIe3VeE