This is the ninth artwork in the Faith Series. Love often begins with the quiet sacrifices of a parent.
This image is built around the commandment, “Honor your father and your mother.” While traveling through Santa Rosa, New Mexico, I discovered the nearly forgotten Santa Rosa de Lima Chapel. I learned that it was built by a devoted son in honor of his mother. Though the chapel now stands weather and fragile, its story remains strong. His mother, Madre, was laid to rest near the entrance, making the chapel not only a place of worship but also a lasting act of gratitude and remembrance.
The aging stone walls and simple white crosses moved me deeply. They reminded me that honoring our parents is more than a commandment-it is an expression of love that can outlive generations.
The Marian image was photographed in an unexpected place: a small sandwich ship in northern New Mexico. I have learned that sacred images often appear where we least expect them. Mary’s youthful face gently cradling the Christ Child speaks of the earliest lesson we receive-love, compassion, faith, and belonging. So much of who we become is planted in those first years through the quiet influence of a parent.
By blending these two images, I wanted to create a visual conversation between generations. A mother’s love shapes a child, and with time, the hope is that the child returns that same love, honor, and faith to the parents who have nurtured it. The architecture becomes a monument to gratitude, while Mary and the Christ Child remind us that every legacy of faith begins in the embrace of someone who loves us first.
