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What a great way to start the New Year--getting ready for the opening of my art show at the Earlville Opera House this Saturday (Jan. 8).

It has been a year-long process from submitting my work to acceptance and finally, the hardest part which was deciding on which paintings to show. I am thrilled to be able to share several of my oil landscape and seascape paintings from my French and Italian collections. The paintings I have chosen are some of my favorite far away places. My hope is that when viewed, the onlooker will visually step through the painting and travel along each scene living their own story as they visually walk deeper into the painting.

I am honored to be selected by the Earlville Opera House for this opportunity and it seems fitting that I am displaying my artwork here at the Earlville Opera House for I have grown up in the shadows of some of its history.

The historic Earlville Opera House is the third building to be constructed on the same site the previous two having been destroyed by fires before 1895. The current building, which was built in the late 1890s, gleams in architectural history and serves as a local community center for the arts. I grew up in Hamilton, New York, and remember several special occasions when my mother would take me to performances at the Opera House.

I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at the opening on Jan. 8 from noon to 3 p.m. The show will continue through Feb. 19. The winter hours are Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. Click here for directions.

The most frustrating question I get asked as an artist is, “How long did it take you to paint that?” It’s a frustrating question, obviously asked by those with little artistic ability, and has no good answer. For the observer, it is an honest and easy question to ask, how else are they to gauge the monetary value of what they are looking at. But for the artist, it is not as easy to answer.

On one hand, there are all of the years leading up to the point of creating the painting. I have worked on some paintings for hours and hours, ending up with a mediocre creation (in my opinion) while every so often I end up with a masterpiece in a matter of a few short hours. Does that make that painting any less valuable because it didn’t take as long to paint? I think not.

It took George Gershwin three days to compose Rhapsody in Blue, one of the greatest compositions written by an American composer. Does that make Rhapsody in Blue any less significant because it only took three days to write it, or is it all the greater for it?

Should my work be valued by the hour instead of content or experience? If so, this New York artist would do better painting houses for a living.

I think the next time I am asked, “How long did it take you to paint that?” I will answer, “It has taken me a lifetime.”

The greatest gift from the Magi was, and still is, the gift of hope. Whether you wish to believe the story or not, undeniably the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and the Magi has done more to influence history than any other singular event.

This is the pivotal point in history not only for mankind, but for art itself. During this time, only the higher classes where literate and most of the known world remained illiterate. If the story were to be told and spread throughout the land, it would have to be done both orally and through art. Historically there is more art done of this one moment in time than any other scene in our known history.

Ironically, the gospel of Mathew never mentions who the Wise Men are, where they are from or how many of them there were. As stated in Chapter 2, verse 1- “behold, there came Wise Men from the east to Jerusalem.” Verse 9 says- “And when they came into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense and myrrh.”

In order to prove the greatness of this singular moment in time, the Magi became synonymous with the birth of Jesus Christ. It is the significance behind the gifts they gave which pivoted Jesus on toward time immortal. Gold signified the Kingdom of God. Frankincense signified the priesthood for it represented the kingdom of God to ancient people who burned it believing it carried their prayers up to heaven. Myrrh signified that he was born to die for the world for it was Myrrh which was used at temple to anoint and embalm those into the Kingdom of God. Myrrh also was also an integral part of the embalming process used by the Egyptians.

Up to this point in history, the world was ruled by power, might and greed which crushed the common man. For the first time, the old order was challenged by the proclamation of a new king having been born of lowly birth and the world now had a choice between a God of power or one of justice.

Jesus’ revolutionary ministry is but a continuation of the Christmas story. The significance of his birth in the manger can be understood only by recognizing his sacrifice on the cross. Still it is Jesus’ resurrection on the cross that marked the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan.

There are many conflicting stories surrounding the birth and death of Jesus Christ and the Magi but ultimately and undeniably the fact remains, whatever your beliefs are, the story of the life and times of Jesus Christ has done more to influence the world of art, science, politics, economics, self and society than any other one thing.

Until the 13th Century, scenes of the Nativity were only seen in 2 and 3 dimensional art. It wasn’t until 1223 that Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with creating the first live nativity scene.

Having recently returned to Greccio, Italy, from a Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, Saint Francis desired to make his Christmas Mass extra special. Looking for a way to put more emphasis on the birth of Christ, and not the trappings of the Church St. Francis was inspired by the shepherds watching over their flocks on the outskirts of Greccio. Using them for his backdrop, next a cave on the edge of town became the manger setting. He then added people of the town dressed in biblical robes to what would be a live nativity scene. Hay was laid for ox and donkeys, and a babe was laid in a manger.

Saint Francis was so overcome and full of devotion for baby Jesus he could not speak his name but simply called him the Babe of Bethlehem. The whole affair took on a truly spiritual air and must be considered truth for the miracles which came afterwards confirm it as true. The hay from the manger afterwards was said to cure all diseases of cattle and many other pestilences.

Within a hundred years, every church in Italy was expected to have a nativity scene at Christmas time.

Since this is the Christmas season, I thought it would be a good time to take an artistic look at the Virgin Mary; for without her we would have no reason for the season. Perhaps there is no place in the world which has celebrated the Virgin Mary more than the city of Rome. You don’t have to go to Vatican City to find the Madonna--anyone who walks around Rome for any length of time can’t help but notice the more than 500 street shrines which adorn various buildings around the city honoring the Madonna.

Picture yourself walking home after a long day of work on a dark, winding street of Rome. Your only light source is an oil lamp, illumined by a glowing Madonna. As she smiles down at you, she is holding the baby Jesus in her arms with a host of angels surrounding her. She emanates love and peace, giving you confidence that she will protect you. The shrines are an integral part of Roman history and still play a huge part in daily Roman life.

The shrines take on many forms and no two are alike. They are made out of just about every material--canvas paintings, sculptures, frescoes, terra cottas and mosaics. Some are still bright, while others are almost completely faded away. They hang from buildings on a line that separates the ground floor from the second floor. To protect them against the weather, some have baldaquins (ornamental canopies) placed above them, however many can be found in good condition even though they have no protection from the weather, theft or vandalism.

There is no documentation of age for the present-day Madonnelle, as they are called, but most range between the 17th to the early 19th century. Many show a Baroque or Neoclassical influence, however there is still a handful can be found which date back to Medieval time. The first Madonnelle does not exist. Madonnelles were done by artists who were commissioned by wealthy patrons, but a good number of them were done by common Romans themselves. However, the populace saw no need to keep records to tell us who did what because it held no importance to them. The importance was in the representation, not the act itself.

To understand the importance of the street shrines, you have to know the history behind them. The idea goes back to the 6th Century BC when shrines throughout the ancient city depicted Pagan gods. The next phase began in the 1rst Century BC with the Emperor Augustus. He split Rome into 265 neighborhoods and organized each neighborhood around its own street shrine. At this point, the shrines took on a political meaning, changing from images of Pagan gods to images of the Emperor himself.

The next significant phase for the street shrines took place in 312 AD when Constantine converted from Paganism to Christianity, and made it the state religion. Now Christians had a legalized religion, but none of the grandeur and lavishness that a state religion should have. Up to that time, early Christians had hidden their art underground in the catacombs and consequently their art was very basic and unimaginative. With the recognition of Christianity and the Emperor’s lost divinity, the street shrines morphed into depictions of Christ.

Around 350 AD, the Marian Cult who worshiped Christ through the Virgin Mary, organized and repainted the shrines throughout Rome with pictures of the Madonna or Madonnelle. The early church objected and refused to recognize Mary as a central figure in Christianity, wanting to keep the power of the church tightly in their grasp. Their stance was to ignore the street shrines.

Around 400 AD, Rome was hit by several natural disasters which eventually caused plagues to erupt. For comfort, Romans turned to their street shrines for solace and soon miracles of the Madonnelle began to occur. Consequently, during this time the Church began to see its power slipping away and out of desperation, changed their views toward the Madonna with hopes of strengthening the Church. Finally, the Church who once ignored the Madonnelle began to promote her. She was allowed to be loved and adored as the mother of Jesus Christ, but she is not to be worshipped like a Goddess. The Church was very clear on this point. Furthermore, Madonnelles that proved to be miraculous, were brought inside churches and hung on consecrated walls. The more important figures would preside over enormous churches, and some had entire churches built for them.

The first-ever recorded miracle happened in 1577. The Madonna of the Lantern, located at the base of a church on the Tiber Island, stayed lit during a flood and continued to burn underwater. Common miracles performed by Madonnelle include weeping, bleeding and healing. As recent as 1976, starting on July 4th and lasting for three weeks, the Madonna Annunciata could be seen moving her eyes. In a city famous for ancient relics of a bygone time, perhaps the greatest miracle of all is that the street shrines are still in existence, not only do they exist but after 26 centuries hold a significant role in the fabric of Roman life.

As an artist and a historian, I have always had a great desire to visit Rome, Italy. It is a Mecca for historians and artist alike. There is so much to do and see there, one would need a month to take it all in, but my husband and I had five days. Even though we wanted to visit the famous Roman Catacombs which lay outside the city, it was impossible to work it into our schedule. However, we had a solution to this problem, before we left for Rome our daughter said “Be sure you go to the Bone Church while you’re there.”

The name, “Bone Church,” conjured up a lot of things in my mind. Granted, I already had a good idea of what we were in store for but the actuality of the visit was truly macabre and fascinating at the same time.

Far from the crowds of Vatican City and Ancient Rome’s Coliseum, Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, is the Church of Santa Maria della Immacolata Concezione or better known as, “The Bone Church.” Located underneath the church there are six small rooms where more than 4,000 monks are buried. The remains of these monks, all of whom died between 1528-1870, have been sculpted into a gruesome monumental work of art with the skulls and bones being used for alters, chandeliers and ornamental wall designs.

When the Capuchin Monks arrived in 1631, they brought with them 300 cart loads of deceased friars and buried them under the church. Even the soil was brought in from Jerusalem. As more monks died, room had to be made for their bones and that’s where the Capuchins got creative, digging up the old bones and adorning them on the walls and ceiling in the crypt.

Over the next 240 years, the Capuchin Friars became artistic experts in interior design as they separated skulls, leg bones, pelvises and such, creating intricately elaborate columns, arches and floral designs in the crypt.

It is an incredible sight as you walk from room to room; there is the Crypt of the Skulls, Crypt of the Pelvises, Crypt of the Leg Bones and Thigh Bones and so on.

A bit of irony here, at the front desk Mother Theresa told us, “Do not take any photography, it is not allowed!” That being said, I looked around the entry room and noticed post cards for sale which could be bought for $7.50 each. That did it for me…game on Mother Theresa.We did manage to snap one picture, Mother Theresa noticed the camera flash coming from the crypt and came storming down the hall yelling as she went. Fortunately for us, she took her wrath out on a young couple who denied having done such an awful thing. We also looked horrified at the idea and passed questioning altogether by Mother Theresa and we were able to smuggle out our one photo of the crypt.

No bones about it, in a dark artsy sort of way, Rome’s Capuchin Crypt is an incredible and intense substitute for the catacombs of Rome.

I never pictured myself in a silverware factory surrounded by my art, but that is exactly where I found myself last weekend.

The old factory building is located in the small village of Sherrill, New York, and is steeped in history having been founded in 1880 by the Oneida Community. Oneida is a utopian society who existed longer than most due to the success of their lucrative business, Oneida Silver, grew and eventually could be easily found around the world. Unfortunately, through several greedy blunders at the beginning of the new millennium, the company was sent into the throws of bankruptcy and in 2005 closed its doors turning their backs on the hundreds of faithful employees who had devoted their lives to making quality silverware.

Thanks to a dynamic 25-year-old Jennifer Krawiec, what seemed a dismal ending has recently turned into an upbeat, trendy hot spot for the beleaguered village. Jennifer, an aspiring artist and native of Sherrill, saw a need for a place where artists could congregate and display their Central New York art. The old factory called out to her and she responded by opening Building 41 Gallery in the old factory building.

I spent a very pleasant evening, surrounded by some really creative artists and a most appreciative public. The crowd was made up mostly of a younger set, probably due to the genre of bands playing across the hall throughout the night. I was pleased by their interest and appreciation for the gallery and local art.

If the other night is an indication of the future, then Building 41 Gallery and Jennifer Krawiec have a very bright future ahead of them. Visit Building 41 here.

The Travel Channel has launched a new show called, "Mysteries at the Museum." It seems as though there are always mysteries unraveling inside Vatican City. The Da Vinci Code has some fun with their story lines stemming from this iconic location, but I wonder...what secrets and mysteries lurk at the Vatican. A big mystery occurred to me when I visited this landmark in 2008.

My husband and I found ourselves swept along through the vast corridors of the Vatican Museum, pressed in on all sides by a huge throng of people. The art was truly amazing and literally everywhere--on the ceilings, walls, and even the floors. It was a chaotic experience and one I would equate to a noisy cattle drive. The corridor went on for what seemed like forever, but eventually ended at a small doorway.

The door opens and almost before I know it, we are standing in the Sistine Chapel. All of the noise and chatter streaming in from the Vatican Museum mysteriously comes down to a stunned whisper as if on cue from a musical conductor. We stand in awe and reverence, whispering amongst ourselves as we take in the magnificence of the room. A feeling of peace envelopes us all until it is shattered by the guards who are standing under Michelangelo’s mural, “The Last Day Of Judgment,” screaming, “Silencio!”

As if shaken out of a dream, with a look of surprise, we stared at the guards disgustedly for distracting us out of our euphoria. Soon the whispers begin again and again the guards are screaming, “Silencio!” We found this happening every few minutes as more people made their way into the chapel. Ironically, the ones making the most noise were the guards themselves, which I found hilarious and had all I could do not to match their noise level with a fit of laughter.

After I could take it no longer, we ventured to the other side of the room and found ourselves in St. Peter's Basilica; where St. Peter is buried. St. Peter is perhaps the most popular of Jesus' disciples and is memorialized in time with images of himself hanging upside down on a crucifix.

Ironically, people were milling around in this most sacred edifice, talking among themselves using their street voices. There are no guards yelling, “Silencio” and I begin to wonder, if we don’t have to show St. Peter a tone of reverence, then just what is going on in The Sistine Chapel? Is someone buried under the Sistine Chapel the Vatican isn’t telling us about, and if so just who is it? The Vatican keeps their secrets close if something is amiss. History is safe for the Vatican will remain “Silencio!”

Having finished my French painting, “Eguisheim in Bloom,” I lingered on not quite ready to leave this lovely little village and found myself strolling down one of its back streets.

Although the scene is more subdued than my painting, “Eguisheim in Bloom,” it has its own special charm. The narrow cobblestone street is sheltered from a hot noonday sun and invites the traveler to enjoy the coolness of its passageway. Like a moth drawn to the light, so is the traveler as they walk in the shadows drawn to the sunlight at the end of a tunnel.

When I reach the other side not only is it a passage through a tunnel but also the end of a delightful journey. With three paintings now completed of this fairy tale village, I am now ready to move on and head back toward Italy for my next creation. At least for now I say a fond au revioir to Eguisheim.

Is it possible that my first visit to the Sistine Chapel, located in the Vatican which is the official home to the Pope, may be my last? The problem is real, the art is priceless. Each year over 4 million people stream through the Sistine Chapel to view the amazing Italian art. Although our spirits may be pure, our bodies are not.

There is great concern for the damage caused by the sweat, breath and dust which 15,000 to 20,000 people bring in with them everyday, which in a deadly combination swirls and whirls around the room ending up on the walls and ceiling polluting the notorious artwork.

Will the Sistine Chapel be closed to the general public with access only to the few bishops and cardinals who roam the halls? One solution is to limit visitors to a very few for a denoted length of time. In Milan, the visitor who wants to see Leonardo da Vinci’s, “The Last Super” must first pass through a filtration system in groups of 25 and are limited to only 15 minutes for viewing the masterpiece. Is that to be the fate of the Sistine Chapel? If so, the waiting list to enter the ethereal setting could end up as only a dream for most of us.

Another solution would be to find better ways of controlling the temperature and humidity in the sacred Chapel, I pray such a method exists or else my first visit to this truly magnificent room will most likely be my last.