One of the Catholic artists in our midst is Daniel Mitsui, who operates a website, The Lion and the Cardinal and who also fashions bookplates and other art.
Recently, he and his wife had their first child, though apparently not without some difficulty, which has now become a financial difficulty as well. Recently he made this appeal:
On the BIRTH of MY SON, SALE on ARTWORK, REQUEST for DONATIONS
Dear Readers:
My son, Benedict Amadeus Mitsui, is now more than a week old.
[...]
Michelle started to have regular contractions on the afternoon of Sunday, May 3rd. Her labor lasted seventy-two hours, the first sixty unmedicated. After a final three hours of hard pushing, the doctors declared that the baby was showing signs of distress, and that a caesarian section was the only remaining option. Thusly our son was born, just after 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, May 6th. In all the history of laboring women, few have suffered more pain and disappointment than my poor wife, or done so more gracefully and selflessly. She is the strongest, bravest, most wonderful woman I have ever known. I love her.
[...]
It is likely, even with insurance my wife and I have, that the hospital bills for so difficult a delivery will destroy us financially. The one asset that I can hope to convert to money is artwork - and I have a lot of it. In the coming weeks, I will be posting several notices of sales on my existing artwork. If you have contacted me in the past about buying a drawing, only to find it too expensive, please contact me again. All prices are open to negotiation.
In addition to the works displayed on my website, I have many drawings, prints and paintings in storage from the years 2000-2005, which will be offered for sale here for the first time. My artistic principles have developed significantly over the past five years, so some of these older pieces may look strange to those of you who have only seen my recent work (indeed, they sometimes look strange to me as well). But they were all carefully and lovingly made, with exceptional attention to detail - I am sure that someone somewhere will like them. They will be sold at prices far below their usual value.
I will also offer for sale limited edition fine art prints of a few of my best works. Please keep your eye on this blog in the coming days for details about all of this.
---
Aside from the sale of artwork, the only way I can think of to raise money through my website is simply to ask for it.
[...]
Daniel Mitsui
Now I should note, Daniel did not send this to me. Instead, it was another blogging friend of the NLM who drew my attention to it, and I wish to bring it to your attention for your consideration.
Aside from what Daniel has already said, might I suggest that there are many creative possibilities that can help to both support Daniel and his family, while also pursuing commissions of Catholic art and liturgical art.
On a specifically liturgical level, one immediate thought which comes to mind is the possibility of commissioning original altar cards for usus antiquior Masses in your parish, or as a gift for a new priest who intends to celebrate it.
I am certain other possibilities may become manifest.
At any rate, please consider giving Daniel and his family your support, as well as our Catholic artists generally.
