The Georgetown Nun Series

The artist's inspiration:

"When the paintings were finished, the frames made, the titles given, and the film edited… I thought 'Pray To Love; Love To Pray' was ready to go. But like everything else that has happened with this project, it needed more to convey the beauty of the Nuns and their story. Maybe some rich captions for each piece. So I started digging deeper... yet the words would not come.

While researching, I came across a picture of a Visitation Nun in Annecy who lives in America at the Tyringham Monastery in Massachusetts. She must have known my aunt, Souer Margarite Marie! After contacting her, as she spoke, I noticed she had such a gifted way with words… so kind and wise. I asked for help in writing captions for the project. She said yes, send copies of the paintings to the Sisters… and they would meditate.

That explained why I had writer's block… it was not meant for me to do. Divine Providence.

While exhibiting at the Customs House Museum and scheduled for a gallery show next, a powerful and exciting thought came to me. Why not go to the existing monasteries so the closed-cloister Sisters can see them? They don't get out much, so I will take it to them! Great, but a pretty crazy idea.

It was two weeks later that I was contacted by a Nun in New York. Sr. Susan Marie was on the computer looking at Annecy for her retreat and up popped an article about 'Pray To Love.' Would I consider bringing it to the monastery in Brooklyn? She told me, "it must be Divine Providence."

On the way to New York, I stopped to visit the Tyringham and the Georgetown monasteries. My aunt stayed at Georgetown. I have a picture of her there in the garden with a collie dog. (For the last 25 years, I have had collie dogs). I felt an immediate connection to the place and to the Sisters, many that also knew her. Once again, I felt I was given the gift of their peace.

This keeps evolving as my son, Nathan, and I document each monastery with thousands of miles so far… from Tennessee, New York, Alabama, Minnesota, to Washington, D.C. These women have so much to share. Truly, they are a gentle presence in a violent world. They are humble to say, but I also now call it… Divine Providence."

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Visitation Academy is an independent, private Catholic school offering a coeducational Montessori preschool and Kindergarten program, the area's only all-girl elementary program for Grades 1-5, and an all-girl middle school and all-girl high school.