Francis

"The animals of God's creation inhabit the skies,the earth and the sea, and have a part in human life. We, therefore, invoke God's blessing on these animals. over all the creatures of the earth."  - St. Francis

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." - St. Francis

Day 19 of my 2020 Gratitude Project.  Simply titled "Francis", this piece brings me great joy, because I have wanted to depict St. Francis in a painting for years, and he has never shown up until today.  As some of you know, I was raised Catholic, and one of the rites of passage in the Catholic Church is confirmation...it means a lot of things, but what it meant to me in 5th grade was that I got to choose a saint who I wanted to emulate. I didn't have to even think about it: St. Francis of Assisi  had long been my favorite saint, as he and I not only shared an abiding love of animals and nature, but compassionate and empathy for all.  Although I am no longer bound to the Catholic Church, I still consider St. Francis to be a guiding light in my life.