I.C. Interior with Communicants

This watercolor attempts to capture a quiet, reverent moment in the daily life of Immaculate Conception Church, where faith is practiced in a steady, humble, and deeply rooted way.

A procession of figures moves forward in muted winter coats and bowed heads, forming the familiar line of daily communicants. I tried to allow posture and gesture to carry the weight of devotion. The figures are meant to emerge gently from shadow, their presence felt more than refined, as much from memory as anything else.

Above them, the sanctuary rises in a luminous color - the crucifix anchors the composition, suspended in a wash of warm golds, greens, and stone-like neutrals that echo the aged beauty of the church interior. I believe the Crucifixion scene was painted around 1903. Light filters down through the arches, diffused and forgiving, bathing altar and congregation alike in a glow that feels earned through time and prayer. The altar figures and architectural details dissolve slightly into atmosphere, reinforcing the sense that this is not a single moment, but many mornings layered together.

The priest, quietly centered, becomes a calm fulcrum between heaven and earth, while the line advances—patient, unassuming, faithful. There is no drama here, only constancy. The painting honors the sacred rhythm of ordinary days: 9:00a.m. mornings, whispered prayers, familiar faces, and the enduring presence of a beloved church that has held generations.