Simplicity

Simplicity. This work combines an image of a sculpture of St. Francis in a niche with a photo of a window with plain lace curtains and a sparse, unpretentious window box. Nothing fancy, just simplicity in the everyday. This seemed like a fitting way to portray the humble monk known for striving to live simply and at peace with fellow humans, animals, and nature. 

The imagery was captured while on an artist residency in Assisi, Italy.

Size: (h x w) 12" x 9"

Media: phototransfer on wood

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Eremo delle Carceri

Perhaps my favorite place yet is the area around St. Francis' hermitage, the Eremo Della Carceri. On Mt. Subascio there is a cave or grotto where St. Francis would withdraw to pray and contemplate. (Carceri means "to withdraw"). To get there, you go through a tiny 15th century oratory connected to a small chapel area, the Cappella Della Madonna. There is one fresco in each area, which you can stand very near to and focus on. These intimate spaces provided a deeply thin place for me. I am still pondering the oratory and chapel, as to why it felt so different. Perhaps because of its close proximity with nature, intimate spaces, fewer crowds, the history surrounding it, or a mixture of them all. I know there is no formula for thin places, but I am still left with a sense of wonder.