Soli Deo Gloria Sacred Art
Wood Engravings of Traditional Devotional Art
Artist's Statement
SDG is inspired by the sacred art of church artists and craftsmen from the 18th and 19th century. In my work, I re-interpret past imagery to create new, dimensional engravings and carvings in wood and other materials. Note that many of these religious artists worked modestly in service to the church without attribution, and their art was often unavailable to the lay faithful. My aim is to honor their legacy by creating spiritually enriching devotional pieces for all to appreciate and share their faith. My work blends the technical with the creative, incorporating traditional woodworking, carving, and finishing with CNC and laser technologies.
My artistic process always starts with the archival source material, and deep historical research to provide the artistic context, theological explanation, symbolic interpretation, and translation of sacred text. The design starts on a computer, where I turn those archival prints into usable digital formats, utilizing a variety of programs for digital design, image modeling, and machine programming. Next, to coax art from the machine, thoughtful consideration is applied in selecting and pairing the wood(s) for each piece. As a lifelong woodworker, I feature the natural colors, formations and complex grains of domestic, exotic, and biblically significant hardwoods. The laser or CNC aids in carving the image and finally, the piece is painstakingly finished by hand. The end result is a truly unique work of devotional art, a collaboration of faithful artists spanning centuries and technologies.
About the Artist
John McCarthy, a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer and combat veteran, is a lifetime woodworker, model-maker, and woodcarver. He is a 1980 graduate of The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina and in 2001 earned an MS degree in information technology from Syracuse University. Mr. McCarthy formed SDG in 2014 after became interested in the use of laser technology as a woodworking tool.
Brother Max
SDG features the work of Friar Max Schmalzl, C. Ss. R. who worked at the turn of the 20th Century. Friar Max created hundreds of liturgical works, edifices and religious printed products, which were distributed throughout the Catholic world.[1] Among the last formally trained artists in the Nazarene style, Brother Max is known as “the last Nazarene”.[2] A humble and pious man, Brother Max lived his life at the monastery of Gars am Inn in Bavaria, where he placed his artistic abilities entirely at the service of the Church. Reflective of the religious artistic ideal, Brother max rarely signed his work, occasionally incorporating the initials “FMS” or “FrMSch” into the piece.
Art historian Dr. Monika Wurster provides a beautiful summary of Brother Max’s life: “His mainstream artistic perception, devotional lifestyle and modesty made him the embodiment of a Christian artist. The Nazarene and Beuron ideal of a humble, pious and laborious artist-friar finally found its purest expression in Max Schmalzl.”[3]
Many beautiful examples of his drawings can be found at https://www.pinterest.com/SDGLasercraft/sdg-lasercraft/ and the Corpus Christi Watershed Project (www.ccwatershed.org/jogues).
[1] Leonhard Eckl: Brother Max life picture of artist Fr. Max Schmalzl . Pustet, Regensburg 1930.
[2] The name Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive honesty and spirituality in Christian art. The name Nazarene came from a term of derision used against them for their affectation of a biblical manner of clothing and hair style.
[3] Monika Schwarzenberger Wurster, "Frater Max Schmalzl (1850-1930). Catholic image propaganda in the Christian art of the late 19th century "University of Regensburg, 2010
About Our Name
Soli Deo Gloria is Latin and usually translated - “To God alone the glory". Many artists, most notably the great composer J.S. Bach, wrote the initials "S. D. G." at the end of their work as a means to honor God. I humbly strive to do the same.
Additionally, the “Gloria” is my small way of honoring my mother. A woman of deep faith, Gloria P McCarthy had a particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and angels. I know she would have approved of SDG, and I often feel her presence as I work.
About Our Process
Many involved steps are required to create a finished SDG engraving. The following provides a quick look at some of our processes. Click the images to enlarge and read about each step.
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