Portrait artist of a spiritual realm

Suzie Harrison

When Ruth Mayer met face-to-face with the late Pope John Paul II and

asked him how he liked the portrait she painted of him, he gave her a

thumbs up.

At her gallery Sunday, Mayer pointed out pictures of her with the

pope from her photo album and described some of her cherished moments

with him.

“He gave me a big high five and a big smile,” Mayer said. “That

was in April; he remembered me. It’s my favorite picture.”

Her journey to create “Song of a Beautiful Soul,” began in the

beginning of 2004.

“I received a call at my house; two priests from the Vatican

wanted to meet me,” Mayer said. “I thought it was a joke.”

She told them she would be in her Laguna Beach gallery in two

weeks if they wanted to meet her.

“Low and behold in my gallery, they showed up,” Mayer said. “While

here I asked if they would bless my gallery, they said sure.”

They had to make do and used bottled water poured into a plastic

cup.

“I felt a hand on my forehead and heard Latin,” Mayer said. “They

said the reason we’re here is to see if you would be willing to paint

the pope for the children.”

Shirl Giacomi, M. Div, Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange chancellor

went to Rome for the painting’s unveiling.

“The pope had already seen it in private,” Giacomi said. “This was

the gala where it was unveiled for everyone else to see.”

Giacomi said the experience was indescribable.

“When it was unveiled people were just quiet,” Giacomi said. “It

truly was an awesome experience. People stood looking at it and all

its different representations of the Holy Father.”

Mayer came to the attention of the Vatican officials due to the

international media attention she received from her “I Love New York”

cityscape painting done years earlier.

The painting seems to foretell the disaster of the attacks on the

World Trade Center.

“See the angel behind the twin towers in New York, see her face;

her arms are stretched out behind the towers,” Mayer said pointing to

the piece. “I painted that a year and a half before Sept. 11.”

A spiritual person, Mayer said she lets God’s energy flow through

her into her work.

“It happens a lot, if I stay open; he allows me to do things like

[send] a message through my paintings,” Mayer said.

To create her John Paul II portrait she did extensive research.

Mayer studied archives, read the pope’s writings, books and watched

taped footage to capture his movements.

“It was not enough; I needed to see his eyes,” Mayer said. “I

decided I would have to go to Rome and meet the pope and see his

eyes.”

Through a lot of political strings pulled she finally got to meet

the pope.

“The first time we met -- I really got down on my knees to look up

into his eyes,” Mayer said. “It was like a shock; he made you feel

like you were the only person there, I felt really connected. I saw

my heart and I was looking into his -- it was like the Holy Spirit

was flowing through him.”

“I was blessed by him three times and attended six masses he

conducted himself,” Mayer said. “I washed my hands in the fountain

where he washed his; I tried to feel him.”

Mayer said John Paul II’s first poem was called “Song of Beautiful

Water.” It helped her title her portrait “Song of a Beautiful Soul.”

“Because that’s what he is,” Mayer said. “To see his love for

children, he had such a concern for the children. His message was to

love one another.”

Tears welled in her eyes when she spoke of his death; she says she

feels the world has lost its guardian angel.

She has no plans to do a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI.

“I don’t have plans to be a pope artist,” Mayer said. “This pope

was special. God opened the doors for me; I have to stay open to do

God’s calling.”

The original portrait is on display at her gallery, Ruth Mayer

Gallery Fine Art Gallery, 380 S. Coast Highway. It will be auctioned

to fund children’s charities.