The Young Jesus in the Temple & the Woman of Samaria Encounters Jesus
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Kansas
Project Completion: Fall 2022
Commissioned by the pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, St. Mary’s Kansas, Fr. Justin Hamilton, these two works- The Child Jesus in the Temple, and the Woman of Samaria- were painted for the renovation of a small adoration chapel, which began as a collaboration with liturgical design by our friend Michael Raia and his team at Studio io. Both were painted in acrylic on canvas with gold leaf accents at 3 feet by 4 1/2 feet. Fr. Justin’s vision was that in this chapel, the place of intimate encounter with Our Lord in the Eucharist, that these two works would present sacramental images of Our Lord’s loving outreach to us. The Woman of Samaria was outcast in several different ways - she was a woman, she was a public sinner, and she was a Samaritan. We too have been shut out, rejected by others and cut off by our own sin. In his passionate love and care for this woman and for each us, Jesus invites us to drink of his living water. He sees into our hearts, into our sin, but also into our best intentions and he draws us out. The Young Jesus in the Temple gives us an opportunity to ponder his challenge of us to engage the Word of God earnestly, to study and inquire into our Sacred Tradition, and to open our hearts to his saving love present in both. Also made present in this work is the mystery of Our Blessed Mother’s path of discipleship. Though distressed by this early hint of her son’s mission, she allowed him to fly from her clutch, pondering “these things in her heart.”
Sacred Heart of Jesus & Immaculate Heart of Mary- Private Commission
Diocese of Phoenix
Project Completion: Summer 2022
The Sacred Heart of Jesus & Immaculate Heart of Mary, each measuring 9 x 12 inches, were a private commission, by a young man for his betrothed. Painted in the iconographic style, the pieces nonetheless convey a more modern sense or familiarity and personal warmth. The figures clothed in traditional blue and red, in the case of Christ signify the union of a divine and human nature, and in Mary, purity and passion and radiant love. The employment of generous gold leaf as background is a further reference to the iconographic style, a representation of Divine Light.
Christ Pantocrator- Private Commission
Diocese of Seattle, Washington
Project Completion: Winter 2020
The original painting at 36 x 48 inches was a private commission out of the Diocese of Seattle, Washington. Created in the Beuronese style, the artwork features the central figure, Christ Pantocrator, and a symbolic portrayal of God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Attended by the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John, and two adoring angels, the overall setting is the New Heavens and the New Earth, depicted with geometrically perfected sun, moon, and stars and local flora of the Northwest region of the United States.
St. Thomas More
His Excellency, Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop, Diocese of Phoenix
February 12, 2022
"St. Thomas More," by Ruth A. Stricklin, was commissioned by Catholic Men’s Fellowship Phoenix, the organizers of Men of Christ Phoenix, as a special commemorative for His Excellency, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, in the year of his submitted retirement. The work, which is acrylic on fine art board, depicts Saint Thomas in his glorified state in heaven, having, through God's grace, overcome the effects of his earthly trial, and now enjoying the beatific vision, bathed in Divine Light. The men of the Diocese of Phoenix will be forever grateful, Bishop Olmsted, for your faithfulness to the Lord, your fatherly care, and your manly leadership.
St. Anthony Marie de Claret
St. Anthony Marie de Claret Catholic Church- Kyle, Texas
Project Completion: Summer 2021
The original work of art- oil on canvas at 24 x 48 inches- was commissioned in 2020 by the parish of St. Anthony Marie de Claret in Kyle Texas. The work depicts St. Anthony (1807-1870), archbishop, missionary, and founder of the congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, or Claretians. Known for his devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, and for having received mystical direction from the Lord, the Immaculate Heart is pictured radiating Divine Light. As a profound preacher, the work portrays St. Anthony with the right hand outstretched in blessing and the left sowing the seeds of the Gospel. Background elements include landscape familiar to Kyle Texas, including the Blanco River, and a stylized depiction of the parish church, originally founded by St. Anthony's Claretians.
Baptism of the Lord
Sacred Heart Catholic Church- Phoenix, Arizona
Project Completion: Winter 2020
Commissioned by Rev. Paul Sullivan for the parish church of the Sacred Heart in Phoenix Arizona, the Baptism of the Lord employs a pseudo iconographic style to evoke the universal and transcendent. Designed to be displayed in the baptistry of the church, the depiction of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by John from the gospel accounts, features John as the last of the prophets of the Old Dispensation, pictured in an arid desert landscape signaling the new life of grace here in Jesus, but not yet. Alternatively the more verdant landscape populated by angels, signifies the inauguration of the New Creation in Christ and the gateway to eternal life. By his baptism, he who is without sin, who has become sin for us, shows his kinship with us by entering even into death, that we may rise with him. He who needs not baptism, enters the waters making them holy, that by these waters our sins can be forgiven. By allowing John to Baptize him, Christ “fulfills all righteousness” for by the baptism which he would command his disciples to perform, the fourfold relationship broken by the Fall is restored.
Presentation of the Lord
Sacred Heart Catholic Church- Phoenix, Arizona
Project Completion: Winter 2020
Commissioned by Rev. Paul Sullivan for the parish church of the Sacred Heart in Phoenix Arizona, the Presentation of the Lord employs a pseudo iconographic style to evoke the universal and transcendent. Designed to be displayed in the baptistry of the church, the depiction of Christ’s Presentation in the Temple reveals Jesus to be the long awaited messiah of Israel, a light to the Gentiles and the Glory of his people, Israel. The Presentation also serves to reinforce to us Jesus’ share in our humanity and affirmation that it is through the ritual expressions of our faith, given to us by the Father, in which we encounter the living God and the person of Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity.
Communion of the Apostles
Project Completion: Spring 2020
The Communion of the Apostles, a traditional Eastern icon, depicts Christ celebrating the Eucharist with his Apostles. This piece commissioned by a patron for a private chapel, is a triptych painted with acrylic on birch wood panel. The center panel, at 42 inches wide by 56 inches tall, depicts Christ at the center, offering communion to Saints Peter and Paul and attended byangels. In the tradition, if text is included it is of a Eucharistic theme, such as: “Take, eat; this is my body. . . Drink of it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Inspired by our own prayer, we chose the striking text from the Bread of Life discourse, “The one who feeds on me will have life.” The piece is inspired by the iconographic tradition depicting stylized figures evoking their glorified state in eternity, two dimensional perspective, and emotional restraint. Peacocks portrayed drinking from the fount are a traditional symbol of eternity. According to the request of the patron, the two side panels portray Saint John Paul II, Blessed Solanus Casey, and Saint Francois La Valle on the left and St. Philip, St. Frances de Sales, and Blessed John Henri Newman on the right.
The Holy Family
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
Project Completion: Winter 2019
For the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Phoenix, The Holy Family was commissioned to help express the theme of the year’s events, and a preliminary sketch accompanied Bishop Olmsted’s beautiful Apostolic Exhortation, “Complete My Joy- To Husbands and Wives, Mothers and Fathers of the Diocese of Phoenix,” 2019. (Watch Bishop Olmsted’s introduction- https://dphx.org/complete-my-joy/ and read Complete My Joy- https://family.dphx.org/). Inspired by traditional Spanish depictions of the Holy Family and evocative of the Diocese of Phoenix’s mission heritage, this piece features elements of the Cuzco School of Catholic sacred art and a depiction of the Holy Family as an image of the Holy Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are depicted in close relation to the Holy Family- Joseph, Mary, and the Child Jesus.
St. Joseph the Worker
Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Phoenix, Arizona
Project Completion: Fall 2018
St. Joseph, beloved spouse of Mary and foster father to Jesus, has been given many titles by the church: Most Chaste Spouse, Defender of the Church, Terror of Demons, Mirror of Patience, Model of Artisans, and St. Joseph the Worker, among many others. Scripture offers us no spoken words of St. Joseph, but his silence teaches us volumes about his humble strength, fortitude, and reliance on God. Joseph's actions are where we see his true holiness of character. He lived as the head of a family with a wife and child who were sinless. He worked hard to provide for them, to protect them, following God's instruction along the way without wavering. St. Joseph is the model of a good father and a man devoted to Christ.
This depiction of St. Joseph the Worker is intended to be a companion to the Miraculous Image, Our Lady of Guadalupe. Although this divine image needs no addition to make it complete, my thoughts were to create a family portrait. The Image of Our Lady is shown carrying the Christ Child in her womb, so I wanted to show what is often hidden, Joseph's particular attentiveness and gentleness, strength and protection as the head of the Holy Family. The work is painted in oil, in a similar style as the Image of Our Lady, and can be hung on either side as a companion piece.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is rich with symbolism, meant to teach a degraded culture about the mercy and love of God. In this way, I incorporated many symbols in my image of Joesph to tell the particular story of how God's grace was manifested in his life and actions. St. Joseph is shown in a glorified state, surrounded by heavenly clouds and rays, yet his feet are grounded on the Rock, the Church, which can also be seen as a mountaintop, a symbol for advancing in holiness. He has lily flowers at his feet, evoking the gentle humble path of purity in which he walks. In his left hand, the staff symbolizes stability, steadfastness, protection and guidance. He holds a scroll of the scriptures in his right hand with a passage from Ezekiel, telling of his role as spiritual leader. In his belt there is a hammer, representing strength and provision for his family.
St. Joseph also comes from a royal lineage, the House of David of the Tribe of Judah. The traditional color for the Tribe of Judah is brown, and the symbol is the Lion of Judah. These you will find on his outer cloak in a stylized pattern similar to that found on the robe of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The stone representing the Tribe of Judah is the emerald, the color of Joseph's tunic.
The Four Women Doctors of the Church
Xavier College Preparatory High School - Phoenix, Arizona
Project Completion: 2013
Xavier College Prep, in it's ongoing mission to nurture the faith-lives of its students, wanted to celebrate the Four Women Doctors of the Church in a visual way that would become woven into the fabric of the school's faith culture. They asked for the four saints to be painted as icons that could be placed in each classroom, accompanying the students through each level of their high-school career and acting as class patron. Freshmen were given to St. Therese of Lisieux, sophomores to St. Catherine of Siena, Juniors to St. Teresa of Avila, and Seniors to the recently-canonized, St. Hildegard of Bingen. The original paintings are 5 by 1.5 feet, and hang at the entrance to the school, and they are often displayed in the school masses.
Ruth chose to paint the women saints borrowing heavily from the iconographic tradition, in order to help introduce students to the most sacred and ancient form of Catholic liturgical art. Their forms are stylized and still, graceful, yet strong, suggesting rootedness in the firm foundation of the Church. Yet, their faces are subtly naturalistic and softer, appealing to young people who are learning to look at traditional sacred art for the first time. They are relatable, yet they challenge the viewer and call them into the heavenly realm. Each painting is surrounded by a field of pure gold leaf, evoking the uncreated, glorious light of heaven. Each saint holds an emblem of their lives or martyrdom.
University of Mary - Occursus Domini Chapel
Bismarck, North Dakota
Project Completion: Spring 2017
The Occursus Domini chapel was conceived by the University's president, Msgr. James Shea, and largely funded by the generous patronage of the of the Vetter family of Bismarck, North Dakota. The chapel resides in the newly built St. Scholastica residents hall for women, the third floor of which is home to juniors and seniors who are engaged in serious vocational discernment. Msgr. Shea envisioned a chapel of Eucharistic encounter where the young women could come and pray with Christ in an intimate and sacramentally beautiful chapel, even in the midst of a bustling university dorm. Designed by architect Adam Hermanson of Integration Design Group, Arvada, Colorado, the design of the chapel invites the worshiper progressively, to more intimate encounter with Christ, ultimately in the Eucharist, which is reserved in a beautifully crafted tabernacle surrounded by luminous alabaster panels.
The four works of art by Ruth Stricklin are painted on solid wood icon boards constructed by Fr. Dimitri Kulp of St. John's Workshop, Blue River, Wisconsin, and incorporate gold leaf borders, enhancing the sense of sacramental beauty and encounter with the living Christ.
