World-renowned artist Elaine Faith Ryder-Thompson from Bohemia was inspired to paint Pope Francis when he visited America in 2015.
While working long hours on a painting of NASCAR race cars, she viewed the Pope on television the entire time he visited the United States.
She snapped hundreds of photographs from her TV at the same time. She was so taken aback by his appeal to all religions and all walks of life in this country that Thompson decided that a painting of Pope Francis had to be her next painting.
Among his stops were the White House, St. Matthews’s Cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Capitol, and St. Patrick’s Church in Washington, D.C. In New York City, he visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the United Nations, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum & World Trade Center, Our Lady of Angels School, Central Park, and Madison Square Garden.
In Philadelphia, he visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, Independence Hall, Festival of Families at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Bishops at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility, Saint Joseph’s University, and the World Meeting of Families.
Pope Francis said on Sept. 24, 2015, to the crowds outside a joint meeting of Congress in Washington, “I ask you all please to pray for me. If there are among you any who don’t believe or can’t pray, send good wishes my way.”
Thompson was inspired by the Pope’s wonderful appeal to all faiths.
She designed the painting showing his open arms as he gestured in his speeches and sermons during his visit here. The American flag is in most of Thompson’s paintings, especially her lighthouses and Presidents. It symbolizes our great country and her love of that flag. Thompson’s forefathers fought in the American Revolution.
Thompson has a gallery in Bohemia where she sells prints and notecards of the Pope's painting. She was unable to sell them to the Vatican City gift shop because the painting had the American flag in it. The original painting is also available. For info, call 516-380-7715 or visit www.thompsonart.us. She is presently working on a surprise commissioned painting.