GREENSBORO — Paul Nixon, former auto mechanic turned artist, just finished his sixth portable shrine for his parish, Our Lady of Grace. The shrines were commissioned by his pastor, Father Casey Coleman.
Nixon took six statues of Our Lady of Fatima, which Father Coleman brought back from Portugal, and placed them in unique wooden cases he built and painted using different design inspirations in shades of red, gold, brown and blue.
Each Marian shrine is approximately 28 inches tall and 10 inches deep.
One shrine is now in the church, another is in a local nursing home, and the others are circulated among parishioners’ homes at their request to encourage prayer.
Over 22 years, Nixon has designed croziers for bishops, created bronze sculptures for communities in his native Ireland, and carved a wooden San Damiano crucifix for a church in Louisiana.
As he selected reclaimed wood and painted each Marian shine, he says, “Each one became more beautiful than the next. It was wonderful to watch the reactions of the staff, parishioners and Father Coleman as I finished them.”
Learn more about Nixon’s art at www.paulnixonart.com.
— SueAnn Howell. Photo provided; Annie Ferguson | Catholic News Herald
