Religious
This is my latest work titled "She Cried Before the Altar," created using acrylic paint, gel plate transfer, and cardstock at eight and a half by eleven inches. It is one of two gel plate prints I made of the original image, but this one resonated most deeply with the emotion I sought to express. The piece was born from a powerful moment I witnessed during a Sunday church service. The sermon centered on someone who courageously stood up for the church and was later criticized by anonymous voices online. Although most responded with support, it was the harsh and hidden criticisms that reached this person and caused visible pain.
After communion, I noticed a young woman quietly crying near the altar. It became clear that she was affected by the sermon and perhaps even at the heart of it. I sat beside her in silence, offering what small comfort I could, and in that moment of shared vulnerability, I saw something beautiful and honest. This painting captures that fragile balance between hurt and grace. I used pearlized paints that catch the light, allowing her halo, clothing, and pale face to shimmer with each shift in angle, reflecting the quiet strength found in sorrow.