A Little Bit Mary, A Little Bit Rock & Roll.

Oh, Mother Nature. You are a TEASE.

Here I am, all wrapped up in pillows and blankets on the Living Room Floor, ready to relish a real old-fashioned Thunderstorm, and all you do is sprinkle a few drops? When, oh WHEN will the rains of summer commence? I'm waiting.

In the meantime, I have surrounded myself with art text books and art catalogues and art coffee-table books and art notebooks, and begun researching Mary. Like Queen of Heaven, Theotokos, Divine Receptacle (that one makes me laugh), Virgin Mary. I've spat in the eye of lurking inconsequence (wretched beast that he is), and begun to let the things I love and the things I know coalesce. Which is to say: I'm throwing together a presentation on the iconography and representation of Mary.

Like I'm Jackson Pollock,

and Church History is my blue, and Church Tradition is my green, and Art History is my red (which I LOVE), and Symbolism is my white (which really makes all the other colors pop), and Eloquence is my black (inky...), and I'm throwing them together in fits and starts to make something that will mean something to someone, somewhere, some day. I hope.

(or perhaps they'll just call me crazy...).

The accompanying soundtrack for this Saturday of research and writing which ranged from St. Augustine's Mariology (St. A is the man. Trust me.) to Byzantine iconography, to Leonardo's first works, to Henry Tanner's time as an apprentice to Thomas Eakins... was good old Rock & Roll.

Because though Martini's Mary might not have appreciated Styx, Queen, Bowie, Evenescence, Live, DMB, and Our Lady Peace (well...maybe that last one...) I can almost guarantee that the scottish-plaid-wearing Gabriel who's just alighted from heavenly heights would totally know all the lyrics.

photos: Mardi Gras 4 by Michel from Flickr, There's No Such Thing as Too Many Books from Izabel4you, detail of Leonardo Da Vinci's Annunciation (1472-1475), Jackson Pollock at work, Blue Poles: Number II by Jackson Pollock, Love Rock & Roll from hismajestytheblog.wordpress, Simone Martini's Annunciation (1313-1342).