Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Garden

By Serafina Blake

Artist Statement

“Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Garden” is a mixed media collage featuring the venerated icon, Our Lady of Guadalupe, enveloped by butterfly wings and an array of diverse butterflies, roses, carnations, and daisies. This collage illuminates her embeddedness within the lavish and vibrant natural, living world. Reminding us of the intrinsic connection between women as creators and the created world, Our Lady of Guadalupe is immersed in a lush, flourishing garden, blooming with color.

My inspiration for this collage was deeply influenced by the idea of “enlarging the space of our tent” to open and create room for diversity, as we ultimately become a Church that delights in the gifts of all women. The Synod calls for the flourishing of life through genuine connection and journeying together. Butterflies, who communicate through color, sound, and physical movement, symbolize this Synodal sensitivity for listening, deep awareness, and receptivity. The transformed butterflies also represent the possibilities for growth, renewed perspectives, and interconnectedness.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Garden” embraces an expansive view of women as divine creators, inspiring awe, reverence, hope, and boundless love in the hearts of those who behold her.

About the Artist

Serafina Blake is a graduate student in Pastoral Theology and Spiritual Direction from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. With primary research interest in theological constructions of the body, Serafina guides trauma-informed yoga, meditation, breathwork, and creative expression practices that celebrate spiritual exploration and cultivate mind-body restoration. As a birthworker and a facilitator of spiritual practices, her approach to caring for others is oriented around informed support, honesty, safety, and compassion.