Since her earliest memories, Kathryn Laffrey has been creating art. Her drawings and paintings of zoo animals at age three have matured to beautiful sacred art pieces that illustrate the beauty of God.
She cultivated her talents over the years through formal art education. Kathryn holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Michigan State University and is currently completing a master’s degree in sacred art from Pontifex University.
With the support of her husband and family and her growth in the Catholic faith, Kathryn has used her talents as a source of inspiration and education for others.
Polish Pisanki
“One of my favorite art styles is more focused on faith in the home — Polish Pisanki. A family tradition — five generations and still going — is to create beautifully decorated eggs after Good Friday services for basket blessing on Holy Saturday. I enjoy sharing this simple ‘domestic devotional art’ by teaching classes at senior centers, parishes and schools,” she shares.
In all of her works, she highlights God’s presence so as to illuminate the beauty in his creation. Her efforts have helped deepen her relationship with God and subsequently that is Kathryn’s desire for her viewers.
in her Polish pisanki, intricately painted
eggs used for basket blessings on Holy Saturday.
Before she begins work in her studio, she prays the following: “Lord, you are the glory and splendor of my soul. Your beauty is awe-inspiring and radiant in every way. Come live in me and shine through me so that others will see your transforming beauty in my life. I offer myself to you, dear Lord, as an instrument of your glory. Jesus, I trust in you.”
“Sacred art embodies truth, beauty and goodness,” reflects Kathryn. “I pray that viewers of sacred art witness God’s transforming beauty so they will come to know God better and be witness to his awe-inspiring beauty,” she continues.
While her artistic talents cover a myriad of media and styles, her specialties include hand-embroidered chalice palls, iconography and sacred art creations made from various woods, high-quality papers and linens.
Chalice Palls
Chalice palls are a relatively innovative undertaking for Kathryn. She started embroidering them after being laid off during the 2020 lockdowns as an effort to stay close to the Eucharistic presence of Christ.
“During the lockdowns, when Mass was suspended, creating chalice palls enabled me to have the feeling of being closer to Christ because the pall is placed on the consecrated chalice.”
Chalice palls are used to preserve the integrity of the consecrated wine. Used by priests during the Mass, the front of the pall has a specific embroidery pattern that is special to the individual or a feast day, while the back is traditionally 100 percent linen, out of reverence to the Eucharist and chalice that holds Christ.
“All of my palls are hand-embroidered, with hours dedicated to effectively capturing the intricate designs. They are influenced by late Romanesque/early Gothic psalters and Byzantine embroidery,” she informs.
Kathryn categorizes her artistic productions into three categories: sacred, devotional and mundane.
The palls and other sacred art are designed for liturgical contexts in an effort to manifest the presence of Christ during Mass.
Icons
Her devotional productions work to draw the faithful into closer intercession with a specific saint. Currently, she is commissioned to create a series of icons depicting saints with a connection to Spanish culture — namely, St. Juan Diego, St. Teresa of Avila and St.Martin de Porres — that will be used in a Spanish teacher’s classroom.
Her mundane art productions bring forth God in everyday life. This is best portrayed in her watercolors of elk, blue heron and eagle. Each is entitled with an inspired Scripture verse.
Influences for Art
Kathryn’s influence to produce sacred art originated in reading “Letter of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Artists, 1999,” a letter authored by Pope St. John Paul II in which he called for a revival of beautification within the Catholic Church through the production of sacred art. Pope Benedict XVI’s book Spirit of the Liturgy was also invaluable in her growth as an artist.
These influences were nurtured under the guidance of Pontifex University Professor David Clayton through the program’s emphasis on the Way of Beauty.
praying to the saints she includes in her
work. Pictured is a crucifix with a variety
of saints for Central High School, Grand Rapids.
Kathryn has adopted the Way of Beauty’s guiding principles and works to articulate the narrative of transformational beauty that intersects divinity with the daily living of humanity in her illustrations. Ultimately, the goal is to take the mundane and cultivate the illumination of God’s beauty and truth in everyday life.
Kathryn speaks to this relationship as she asks for intercessory prayers of the saint she is working on in her art.
“When I include a specific saint in my artwork, I ask that saint to intercede for me so that the image I am creating of them will bring viewers closer to God,” she says.
“I enjoy learning more about the saints through hours of research, and through this research, I come to better understand the lives and sacrifices that specific saint made for God. My desire is to depict these sacrifices in my productions so viewers can have a similar experience that is unique to one’s faith journey,” she attests.
Kathryn is continuing to share her knowledge and insight on sacred art in a new podcast that will premiere this fall with Star Quest Production Network (SQPN), the oldest Catholic podcasting network. Kathryn currently shares her artistic insights on other shows which can be found on sqpn.com. All the shows seek to explore the intersection of our faith and modern culture.
“The need for and resurgence of sacred art reaffirms that we need to keep bringing beauty back and to keep it grounded in the timeless truth, beauty and goodness that we have been given,” she ends.
To view Kathryn’s sacred art, visit her website: kl-artstudio.com
