Here is a great photo of a fellow friend, artist, and alumni of St. Gregory’s Academy: Andrew Wilson Smith
Andrew is pictured here in his studio at St. Gregory’s Academy in 2008.
Andrew has recently finished the capitals for the monks at Clear Creek Monastery in Oklahoma, and he is currently working on other aspects of the portal. Visit his website and go to the “work” page to read about the Romanesque capitals project, then go to the “portfolio” page to see photos of the finished project in place in the Monastery.
I had the pleasure of spending a good amount of time with Andrew during the John Senior colloquium at Clear Creek in August. Andrew’s integrity, intensity, and humility about art and his craft is inspiring to me personally. I am excited to see what he does next.
-Peter
Thank you so much, Peter, for posting this. I have been waiting with great anticipation to see the capitals and now will have to make a trip to Clear Creek when I come back. I must say that I am thoroughly impressed, even though I am only viewing pictures. The detail of Adam’s face in the Expulsion from the Garden captures an impressive combination of confusion, sadness, anguish, and fear, at least that’s what my poorly training eye is getting. Also, in the same piece, I am loving the “Ecce virgo concipiet” banner. It’s rather brilliant, actually, because, at least it seems to me, it is an extension of the protoevangelium. This point is extended by the simple fact that the serpent is wrapped around Eve’s ankle such that he is striking at her heel but she is clearly not crushing his head. And there is Adam immediately behind her, being the man being led out of paradise by the wife to whom he listened. Yes. I’m saving money to have Andrew make something for my parish one day.
Also, if you can’t tell, I still read your blog.