Our Lady of Joy

So I have had to put "the Nativity" on the shelf as I have been super busy lately. Plus, I just got a new commission for a small painting. 

I am doing my best to crank it out as it is somewhat pressing. I was just commenting to Cindy about how I think one of my problems is that I don't have enough deadlines and am too lazy to force them upon myself. And just like that, the Lord provides. 

So I have about a week to finish this puppy. I was pretty happy with how the sketch came out and I've started to paint in some color. The title of the piece is "Our Lady of Joy." I was really trying to capture a subtle, joyful moment between the Blessed Mother and our Lord, one of what I can only imagine as thousands of moments, in which a perfect mother was delighting absolutely in her perfect son. 

In coming up with the idea for the painting, I found myself dwelling on the joy I find in my own children. How much more would Mary's joy be, although tempered perhaps by the knowledge and foreshadowing of His future suffering. 

Anyway, let me know what you think. I am planning on making prints available for purchase once it's completed.