Osborne’s Oneness

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A
quote
from the
announcement
for the opening of

Sister Mary Ann Osborne’s
woodcarving exhibition
‘Oneness’

struck me to
the core
…

she says,

The only useful
thing to accomplish
in our lives is finding
union with God
.

wow

gut punch

I wasn’t expecting that,
but I believe we are given
the decision to be with Him
if we desire it, so this really
resonated with me

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I haven’t met her, but
The Basilica of St. Mary
hosted some of her
artwork this year
(2025)
:

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The scene
above depicts
‘A Place at the Table’
;
five figures seated around
a table as the faces of many
more surround them
.

I noticed that her
designs often feature
groups of figures
…

Sister Mary Ann
has permitted me to
show a few of my
favorite ‘crowd
scenes’ here
,
but
try the link
at the end of this
article to visit her
online gallery
!!!

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I love
the hands
in this one
:

Wound Sanctifier
2000

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This
is a depiction
of Jesus’ first miracle;
turning water into wine
at the wedding
in Cana
:

Water Into Wine
2002

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Notice the unique
way she encloses
the space here
:

We Hold Vigil
2011

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Here she uses
different colored stains
to define the spiritual
component of
the design
:

Sacred Fire
2014

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She
often adds
colorful details
to enhance the
effect
:

Clouds by Day, Fire by Nght
2005

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In addition to ink
and acrylic paint, she
embeds tile, glass & stone;
and metals like copper, brass
and gold to embellish
her designs
.

One Pulse
2013

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Here’s a
different type of
‘crowd scene’
:

The Lost One
2015

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Looking
at this one just
makes me feel
good
:

Do This in Memory
2001

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Many of
these pieces
are larger than
you might
imagine
.

You can see
some of them
actual size in the
second half of
this short
video
:

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She also
self-published
an ebook which is
illustrated with many
more artworks
:

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Well,
the theme of this
little online exhibit was
‘crowd scenes’, but I can’t
resist showing a few
more that I really
enjoyed seeing
.

Here’s
one called
‘Finger Labyrinth’,
which encourages you
to touch the piece; running
your finger along the groove
and passing by messages
along the way
…

Finger Labyrinth
2013

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I really
love that idea.
I wish I had thought
of it myself!

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I looked at
this one for a
long time
.

It’s
based
on Psalm 65,
Valleys Blanketed
With Grain
:

Taste and See
2010

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One More
.

(just because I love it)

Guardians
2012

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Note that
I have cropped
some of photos to
show as much of the
image as possible
for this article
.

You can see the
full photography on
Sister Mary Ann’s
website
.

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Here’s a link
to see many more
delightful & inspiring
woodcarvings
:

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Thanks for sharing
your artwork with us,
Sister Mary Ann
!!!

Mary Ann Osborne, SSND

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The icon
for this article
is Sister Mary Ann’s
‘Wondrous Love’
2009
:

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