Hello everyone, this is a note to tell you that I am now going to be posting on Substack. The Way of Beauty on Substack. You can subscribe for free to get posts that will appear on their now via substack.com My latest posting is here: https://open.substack.com/pub/claytond/p/the-paleolithic-cave-paintings-at?r=1rnus1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true ..read more

Students Getting an Authentic Traditional On-the-Job Apprentice Training The excellent Stabat Mater Studio—an art school I recommend for soup-to-nuts training in naturalistic art styles—opened this September! As Scala Foundation Artist-in-Residence, I have been consulted as a sounding board by Executive Director Robert Puschautz, whose vision this formation reflects. This Fall, a mixture of full-time core students and part-timers began intensive instruction in the fundamentals of drawing from Robert and Art Fellow AnneMarie Johnson.  One key distinguishing the Stabat Mater Studio fro ..read more

On Christianity, Christian Art and Culture and Saving the West with Beauty Here is my interview with Tammy Peterson. Tammy is an excellent interviewer on matters of faith and culture from a Catholic perspective despite being a relatively new Christian convert who as only received into the Church this past Easter. Her approach displays a genuine curiosity and a sincere desire to learn from the interviewee. This made for what was, from my perspective, a very enjoyable and wide-ranging conversation in which I felt I was given a sufficient opportunity to communicate what I thought was important. I ..read more

To mark the Christmas season, I thought I would feature this beautiful icon, painted by my teacher, Aidan Hart (aidanharticons.com), which reflects the nativity accounts from the gospels of Matthew and Luke, which will be familiar to many. These are the main features of this image: At the top, we see the guiding star. The star's design incorporates a threefold ray structure indicating trinitarian action, with its darker central portion representing the mystery of God.  The Blessed Virgin Mary's recumbent position at a diagonal is intended to visually connect the upper and lower parts of ..read more

From our friend Jonathan Pageau comes the latest in an acclaimed and growing series of fairy tales, written by Jonathan and beautifully illustrated by Elouise Scherrer. In the storytelling tradition older than the Brothers Grimm comes Jack and the Fallen Giants. This numinous retelling of a beloved classic allows modern readers to reclaim the beauty of this well-beloved fairy tale through insightful storytelling and iconic illustrations. Like all great fairy tales, Jack and the Fallen Giants is written to be enjoyed by children but contains hidden treasures for readers of all ages. Elois ..read more

Princeton Theological Seminary Chapel, Princeton, New Jersey, December 5th 2024, 8 pm, non-ticketed; entrance is free ..read more

The Cross is the Glory of Christ As we approach the Sunday of Christ the King, I thought I would feature the award-winning Crucifixion painted by the English Catholic artist Martin Earle. This choice may surprise some who are expecting an image of Christ Enthroned, such as the one at the foot of this article (also by Martin Earle). I chose this Crucifixion because the artist decided to entitle it Rex Gloriae—King of Glory—a title that I think is wholly appropriate. This wonderful painting hangs in the Cathedral in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is painted in egg tempera on a gessoed wooden p ..read more

A transformative journey that combines traditional Catholic spirituality with holistic artistic formation and is offered to everyone. Become the creative you were meant to be. Designed by David Clayton, Artist-in-Residence at the Scala Foundation and Provost, Pontifex University ..read more

And Art for Art’s Sake is Anti-Human The purpose of art and the role of beauty in the culture have been subjects of ongoing debate. While some view art as existing purely for its own sake - ‘art for art’s sake’ - divorced from any broader utility or message, others argue that art must serve a didactic or ideological function. The traditional Christian perspective, however, offers a distinct understanding that avoids these extremes, and the result is art for God's sake, which, if done well, will always be art for our sake too. The interior of St Mark's Cathedral Venice: Is this art for art's s ..read more

In a significant move that signals both recognition of talent and a new chapter for a renowned architectural firm, Geoffrey Yovanovic, AIA, has been named the first partner at Norman Davenport Askins Architects. The firm will shortly be amended to reflect the name of its first partner (and may have done so by the time you read this). I am particularly pleased to see his progress as it bears witness to my assertion that beauty has a premium on the open market and is an investment of time and effort that pays rich dividends.  A graduate of the University of Miami with a Bachelor's degree i ..read more