Mediatrix: Self-portrait and portrait of my son

I was really on the fence which page of my portfolio to put this piece. As mentioned in my last post, I've been taking some of the lessons I've learned with oils, and am now applying them to my acrylic work. This acrylic painting in the tradition of the "Madonna and Child" artwork depiction of Mary and Jesus is an example. Although my son and I are filling the roles of Mary and Jesus in this piece, I didn't feel it gave it the proper dignity to classify it as "Cosplay." The choice to adopt Mary's mantel and to place my son in the role of the Christ child is so much deeper. 

​As a cradle Catholic, it actually has taken me much of my adult life to understand Mary better, and to adopt any sort of regular prayer devotion around her role in Salvation history. So for me to be willing to see myself in her shoes so to speak, I feel is a great leap forward in my faith life as a Catholic artist. Likewise, I treasure my son. And to imagine what it must have been like for Mary, who I'm sure treasured Jesus, to watch Him grow and eventually suffer and fulfill His role in God's plan must have been torturous for her to endure. For this reason, this piece is still first and foremost a self-portrait and portrait, just in the arrangement and tradition of a "Madonna and Child," and I have therefore included it in my "Portrait" page of my portfolio of this site.

This piece's title is a play on words with an obvious juxtaposition of classical imagery over a modern "media" filled setting.