symbol

Whether the script in the background is an actual sutra is not the concern, even if it is, would it be readable to most? I question the use of lines in Calligraphy. Without the recognition of the exact words or meaning, can we still appreciate the quality and skills involved? Armed with a Chinese writing foundation, I adapted the use of the eight strokes (the basis of construction to Chinese character). The `writings’ resembles Chinese/Japanese writings but in fact, they are not. I needed a texture. With language as a symbol of culture, by visually adapting these kind of lines endears us to the image.

unknown, pen on paper, 2022

God Provides Mural: acrylic paint on Stretched canvas. Size: H 30 “x 40” w 1” D In this mural I seek to illustrate How God through Jesus provide for the spiritual needs of humans. The first century fishing boat with its nets stretch out to dry on the shore, Jesus calls us to leave our old live behind and join Him on a new adventure. Just as he calls his disciples to leave their lives of fishing and join Him in bring people back to God. The illustration of a boy lunch in a desolate place, we are reminded that God know our physical as well spiritual needs. If we seek to put him first in our lives, He will take care of the rest. Jesus and Peter walking on the rage ocean, God call us to weather many great storms, to be able to participate in rescuing of the spiritually drawing. We always need to be reminded to keep our eye on Christ unless we become filled with fear and we become overwhelmed by our hostel environment and being to sink. Jesus on the cross, God knowing no sin, sent His son to be a sacrifice, the innocent trading place with a vile criminal to face a horrible death on the cross. We can all identify with Barabbas, for because of our sinful words and deeds, we ourselves are criminals before a Holy God. If we identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection from the dead, for the payment of our transgression. This is the only way to be forgiven and washed clean of our sinful past. We have been given the holy spirit to enable us to turn from sin and walk in the newness of life through His word and spirit. The rock with ALPA and OMEGA and Irish flower carved in it: represent Our eternal God who existed in the eternal past and will exist in the enteral future. The rock with dove facing down, represent the coming of Holy Spirit who Jesus sent, after He went back to Heaven. He came to teach us all truth about spiritual things, about God, to give us understand of His words, and to strength our bodies, minds, spirits to enable us to do the will of God. The rock with fish symbol: Represents the sign first century Christian would draw on the ground to test a person to find out if they were a true follower of Christ or if they were a spy, trying to expose were the Christians met for church. So, the Roman could arrest and kill Christians. How the test was administered: The initiator would drawl half the body of the fish in the grown, then the person being evaluated, if they were a Christian would know to draw the second half of the fish. Written By Stephen J. Vattimo 1/18/2023

I always loved the wide-eyed screaming horror of Elsa’s original Bride, but for mine I thought it would be fun if she was instead just very, very, displeased. As soon as her motor-functions kick in, it’s gonna kick off, and Doctors Frank’ and Pretorius are gonna take a very short walk off that very high tower. On the set of the original movie, attached to one of the columns, you can see a big wheel that’s used to crank open the skylight. I thought it might be interesting to incorporate this, symbolically, as a sort of halo, like the kind of thing you see in stained glass windows and old religious art, and to give the scene an additional sixth day creation kinda vibe. Also, whilst working on this, every time I thought of the name “Pretorius”, I would involuntarily sing it in my head to the tune of, “No, No, Notorious”

The Red Robin symbol.

Redesign logo symbol of venturephant

The logo symbol was created with the sun, leaves, and stars. As you know the Sun is the largest source of clean energy in the world. It is eco-friendly that's why I included the sun's rays as leaves and all leaves are connected to each other like solar cells. Star comes from the name 'Loolo'. If you want the logo designer to send me an SMS in the comment

And here it is! The Theophany (Manifestation of the Holy Trinity on earth for our Salvation), The 1st Luminious Mystery of Light: The Baptism of Jesus! Here's some of the symbolism explained: John the Baptist gestures up and down indicating the Divinity and Humanity of Christ. Christ blesses John. Christ identifies himself with our purification and with mankind. Voice of Father and Spirit reveal Trinity. Dove reminds us of Noah's flood, Christ Baptism frees us from the flood of sin. Angels are submissive and glorify God as we should. Ax cuts down the fruitless "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire" (Matthew 3:10). Christ blesses water to become water of renewal. Jordan river, the fleeing man in the water, turns back (Psalm 113), and the seas are represented by the drake. Hope ya'll enjoy! ^_^

I had to make good ol Saint Benedict! Complete with his symbols, the Rule, Pastoral Staff and Our Monastic Habit! :D This is a super monk-ey picture. :P St. Benedict, pray for us!

World gone to hell Sons duaghters leaving their families homes, dying of a new and namles plague. Where are the gods? And what has become of my hero? I am king, but no more subjects are under my command. A kingdom falls. A new age dawns, the illest omens herald its bitter arrival . God preserve us. We have forasken god, they do not forasake us. This is why we must be stricken with sickness. . . .. … … Weep for me. Weep for all our brothers and sisters. And now every uncreative poet and halfwit bard seeks to make drama of our troubles. We are their muse, their grand epic to tell the children. Fear the virus, dont look away, disturb the dead, praise us for our lies to you. They lead the masses to slay each out of fear. Cry. Yes, cry Cry for your fallen. They will not be returning for you soon. But you are still alive, and for that you shall become stronger. Onward We cannot always bury the dead. Today , time is against us. We move foward, we carry the sorrow, but the ultimate goal is to defeat sorrow. Whatever form this darkess takes, we face it. Unafraid. And unrelenting. Forge on into the night. Not gently and quiet shall be our passing. For, if i am to end, and you likewise, we plant our flag atop the highest hill. We scream our battle cry and let none forget our actions . The very mountains will shake, and echo our last breath. This is my promise. If i shall die, i die as i am now A man. I have decided. So, i die ….. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKXBKF6a2BWVDy_SgMvk8GQ?view_as=subscriber

Fed by a Miracle of Compassion Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 11”x14” Year: 2019 Artist: Stephen J. Vattimo Matthew 14:13-21 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Five Thousand Fed 13 Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the [a]people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He went [b]ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already [c]late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 17 They *said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Ordering the [d]people to [e]sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. This illustration is part of a mural about the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The mural consists 9 images that depict the Miracles of Compassion Christ worked that are recorded in the Bible and He continues to perform in the world today. Understanding the symbolism in the painting. The basket of to fish and bread sits in the grass; Jesus had instructed His disciples to have the people sit down in the grass. Dead grass: the event took place in a desolate place. Historical and cultural illustration. Basket design: In the first century in the middle east people traveled on foot and when on a long journey they carried food with them. The common lunch pal during this time period was most likely a small wicker style basket with a removable lid, and a leather strap attached to it. So, a person can sling it across their shoulder for comfortable transportation. The basket would most likely be lined with a cloth wrap around the food to protect it from dust and bugs. The fish and bread: In John 6:1-15 which mentions the same event, tell us the 2 fish and five loaves of bread belong to boy, so most likely his meal was that of a poor person. The common fish that was eaten by the poor in this region and time period, were sardines. The five loaves of bread: Were most likely a type of flat bread which is commonly consumed by middle eastern people. The Bible verse that best communicates the message of this illustration is: Matthew 6:25-33 New American Standard Bible (NASB) The Cure for Anxiety 25 “For this reason I say to you, [n]do not be worried about your [o]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [p]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single [q]hour to his [r]life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [s]seek first [t]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be [u]added to you. Written by Stephen J. Vattimo 3/25/2019

Red Admiral of the Fleet :3 this was a toughie, for trying to find a genuine admirals hat and symbol that wasnt fancy dress! Eventually traced the real thing by finding actual people wearing their hats

Third portrait from the collection "Women of the world"

Sketched during a live stream of one of my favorite people, this artwork is symbolic of how we creatives communicate and interact using social media.

This is inspired from the the soundtrack to Gladator the film. Its about how most people will end up in some kind of Colosseum, metaphorically speaking. Life will throw at us many problems. A sketch for a body of work. The black cross is a sword buried in the ground. Maybe its a symbol of peace.

"This digital artwork represents two snakes coiled in a helix, symbolizing the indissoluble union between physical and mystical life. The intertwined shapes evoke the structure of DNA, reflecting the fusion of science and spirituality and inviting reflection on how these dimensions are woven into the fabric of life."

I drew this character design for an illustration assignment at my university

I'm on a role so I might as well complete the Evangelists. :) This is St. Mark the gospel writer of yeah, you guessed it, Mark. He's on his symbolic Lion, besides the Regal symbolism I always thought the Lion was also because there are more exorcisms in Mark than any other Gospel (When ya think Lions ya think of battles and for him spiritual ones). But yeah, He's all about Christ the King n stuff, you know how they say that the Lion is the King of the Jungle, well Big J.C. is King of the Universe! :P

It's St. Luke the Evangelist on his symbolic Winged Ox! I actually visited his tomb in Padua before my first vows awhile back. And I saw his painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bologna. He is definately the Evangelist I am most devoted to because he is the patron of Artists! He is also a physician and because my religious name Raphael means "God Heals" and the Divine Physician there is also that connection. St. Luke Physician, Artist and Evangelist, pray for us! ^_^

St. John the Apostle riding on his symbolic eagle! XD

So if Animal Crossing had a Catholic Church, one of the windows might look like this, because in the museum there are several cathedral windows with an Owl on them (Blathers). It's interesting how this particular art form of the church has inspired cultures throughout the ages, even in our modern times in video games. An owl is a symbol of wisdom. So this is the Eucharist, fount of all wisdom or rather even Wisdom itself (as He is God). Heh, it's pretty fun finding all these lil Catholic things in games ^_^

Created a few years ago, this little one has become my personal symbol. I often wear a button with this image on it without the background. Illustrated in pen and ink, colored in photoshop, and lettered and layed out in Illustrator.

This is a painting I made trying to capture the simple beauty of a bird on a frozen tree. On a deeper level, this can symbolize appreacting the small moments in life, like the beauty of a bird on a snowy branch.

Victory Through Prayer Medium: Water Color Markers on Illustration Board Size 2' x 4' Year completed: 1991 This illustration is part of a collection of artwork I did while in the military entitled, "The Army Years", I served in the Army National Guard for 5 years, and the regular Army for 4 years. One of the main reasons I got out of the military is because I didn't have much time to do my artwork. While I was stationed in Germany I did a few posters, and banners for a German/ American Playhouse, and I was in a European art show. This illustration was done during The Desert Shield / Desert Storm, during this war, many soldiers were afraid that our military equipment would fail to function due to the desert sand. While I was stationed in Germany, I attended a Christian hospitality house, that ministered to military personnel, and their families. I knew and heard of soldiers who died or were wounded in the war, we prayed for God's protection for those we knew were in harm's way. I believe the reason the casualties were low for the collision force is that God gave them a swift victory on the battlefield. No one should think that it was just might, and smart bombs, Iraq had the 4th largest military in the world. The Bible teaches that God causes the rise and the fall of nations. Decoding the symbolism : The " v " with lightning bolt shooting out of it =God giving the collision forces victory over Iraq's military. The large bold eagle with the arrows in its right talon, and with it's left talon open to attack, = the U.S. attacking Iraq. The banner made up of the flag of the collision, tie to the eagle's open talon= The U.S. leading the collision nation in the war against Iraq. The necklace with the cross attached to it, around the eagle's neck = God protect around the U.S. forces, the result of intercessory prayer of Christians. The flag of Iraq illustrated in the shape of the geological area mass of country, being shattered by the lighting = God judging Iraq, by giving the collision power to conquer Iraq and occupy her land. The land mass colored red at the bottom corner of Iraq = the country Kuwait, that Iraq invaded, that was the cause of the war. Written by Stephen J. Vattimo October 12, 2008

Medium: Ink on Sketch Book Paper Size: 15” x 25” Year: 10/04/2019 This Illustration is my Pumpkin carve design for the Great Pumpkin Carve, sponsored by The Chad’s Ford Pa. Historical Society. I have been participating in this event since 2006. I designed this picture to illustrate the human heart toward God. Understanding the symbolism in the design Human heart: A Fortress God’s Communion with Man Kind: Irish trinity flowers, with the crown, cross, dove God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit The two doors: the diverse ways mankind communes with God. The door with the thorny flower design: A religious person who live with out power. They refuse to allow God to sit on the throne in their lives. The door with the Grape Vine design: A follower of Jesus, who summit their lives to God’s lordship. John 15:5 New King James Version (NKJV) 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Stephen J. Vattimo 10/04/2019

When I can't think what to draw, I go for graceful symbols and hang lines and other things on them.