Catherine Nolin

This painting has been a real journey for me. It`s pretty amazing how the ideas come together subconsciously but then make perfect sense to me in the end. I`ve been hitting many rough patches with my son and painting is my coping mechanism, a way to be in control, to establish some order in an otherwise out of control situation. For a long time I have been so fascinated with renaissance art both Italian and northern. The beautiful red coral that is often depicted in paintings with the Madonna and child was believed to protect against childhood disease and to avert evil. It`s still seen as good luck in Mediterranean countries. You may recognize some other items as well. I just love the symbolism. There are two nests in the tree which are hard to see in the photo. I named this painting Nelle mani di Dio-"In God`s Hands" for obvious reasons.