““We believe that the greatest force of evangelization and social change in our world is beauty. We believe that Catholicism is the most beautiful framework for understanding and expressing the human experience... we just need to pursue our craft with excellence. Anything less compromises our passion, erodes our credibility, and dulls the vibrancy of our Catholic vision.””

This week, we have opted to feature this oil piece by Kate Capato, firstly, because we are deeply proud when any of our members creates with this level of craftmanship, and secondly, it clearly demonstrates the values that we aspire to as a community. Last week, we made a post in the slack channel and in the Facebook group about the purpose of our community- the quote above is an excerpt from that post. We want to encourage every artist to avoid accepting low standards for their work, but to aspire to nothing short of excellence. Misericordiae Invitatio is the clearly fruit of such a pursuit of mastery.

I would imagine that it would be very difficult to look at this painting and to not be moved to curiosity, if not awe, at its message. The combination of a beautifully executed realism with a traditional presentation of sacred art creates an almost fantastic surrealism that allows the symbols speak while also making them accessible. I, for one, very rarely expect religious art to be innovative or relevant. If I am told that I am about to be shown contemporary religious art, I usually grit my teeth and prepare to give disingenuous compliments. This piece, (and others done by other members of the group) has proven that with superb craftmanship and a bit of creativity, an artist can reimagine entire genres of art and breathe life into art forms which were left for dead in the wake of the modernist aesthetic.

We encourage all artists in this group to pursue their craft with as much love and passion that Kate Kapato did in this painting.

In the words of the author, "Misericordiae Invitatio: Oil on Canvas. 4.9 ft by 3.2 ft 2016, was recently completed in response to the Year of Mercy and the Theology of The Body messages. The Latin title, Misericordiae Invitatio, translates to Invitation of Mercy. This painting aims at pulling the viewer outside of time."