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ursulav β€” St. Mantid ACEO

Published: 2012-05-31 23:24:33 +0000 UTC; Views: 9731; Favourites: 304; Downloads: 172
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Description St. Mantid, just to get the joke out of the way, did indeed spend a lot of time praying. He was the head of one of the largest order of mantis monks, followers of St. John the Baptist (male mantises often choosing celibacy and strongly identifying with those who have been beheaded, for obvious reasons.) Several miracles were attributed to him, including the Miracle of the Loaves and Aphids and the Reattachment of the Head of Brother Ignatius, who fell victim to carnal sin and later returned to the monastery carrying his severed head in a sack.*

*Brother Ignatius was never quite right after that, but did receive flowers from an unknown admirer every year on his birthday.


This is an ACEO (art card) sized piece, matted to 2.25 x 3.25, with metallic copper halo. I’m also doing a limited run of 7 prints, also matted, hand-painted to also have the metallic copper halo. (I like Luminere fabric paint for that–much more opaque metallics than you get in straight acrylic.) The first and last of the series will be saved for con art shows, the other five are for sale while supplies last.
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Comments: 40

WhIppIng-b0y [2015-02-19 19:23:25 +0000 UTC]

This is so dang cute! XD

On a side note, did you know that the whole "female eats males head" thing was only done by mantisi (mantises? mantisies?) who were in captivity?

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Luckysweep [2013-06-23 03:23:23 +0000 UTC]

So the headless brother walked to the Monastery carrying his own head in a sack... am I reading this right?

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shinymogwai [2012-08-12 05:58:39 +0000 UTC]

Can I just find a way to have everything you draw put in my favorites list and just call it a day? Because my god, everything you do is amazing.

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patrx [2012-07-09 18:05:57 +0000 UTC]

Love your stories that go with the characters portrayed in your artworks...keep them coming!! Mantids are such interesting insects to watch. Check out some of the most colorful mantids at Blepharopsis' webpage here at DevART.. He has photographed some pretty interesting critters.

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toshirodragon [2012-06-27 16:19:04 +0000 UTC]

Poor Brother Ignatius! bahahahahaha

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DutchOrca [2012-06-17 10:07:02 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful card and I love the story!

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Treewoman [2012-06-15 03:08:21 +0000 UTC]

Brilliant! I love your Saints...

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belario [2012-06-06 11:01:17 +0000 UTC]

I'm such an admirer of your work... and the stories of your characters.

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Wisteria24 [2012-06-05 14:54:10 +0000 UTC]

The story behind this guy had me laughing out loud. Nice work!

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chaosia [2012-06-05 10:29:26 +0000 UTC]

This made my morning, I do so love your descriptions and stories to go with each piece!

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LiHy [2012-06-04 01:16:35 +0000 UTC]

The story that goes along with him is, admittedly, pretty darned funny.

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Servitor2152 [2012-06-03 12:54:24 +0000 UTC]

Fav'd because I love mantids, and because the story made me chuckle.

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EyesLikeAbsinthe [2012-06-03 11:00:26 +0000 UTC]

...I think you might genuinely have cured my life long fear of preying mantises (mantii?). Seriously, I'm not even kidding.

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hoppytoad79 [2012-06-02 20:36:17 +0000 UTC]

Hee! I love the description of St. Mantid and the story behind Brother Ignatius' return from the dead. *G*

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DerPidder [2012-06-02 09:15:09 +0000 UTC]

...now I need to do a race of praying mantises for my RPG-gaming group just so I can include this fella. You've done it again. ^^

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PhoenixMerrick In reply to DerPidder [2012-06-04 05:04:40 +0000 UTC]

Just look up Thri-Kreen.

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EclecticEcho [2012-06-02 03:41:26 +0000 UTC]

Ahahaha! Oh gosh, that's funny and cute too!

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Azdaracylius [2012-06-01 22:29:46 +0000 UTC]

Mantids are cool

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burkeonthesly [2012-06-01 20:47:24 +0000 UTC]

Go, St. Mantid and Brother I!

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Koomori [2012-06-01 20:18:51 +0000 UTC]

Awesome. Always like mantises.

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eternalpuppy [2012-06-01 19:27:17 +0000 UTC]

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KevlarUnicorn [2012-06-01 13:53:27 +0000 UTC]

I don't know which is more awesome: the artwork, or the story about Bro. Ignatius.

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PaulEberhardt [2012-06-01 12:37:19 +0000 UTC]

Holy...
Mantis!

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Nichers [2012-06-01 06:38:49 +0000 UTC]

I love mantises, yay! This story was hilarious. Poor mantis monks. Sure, you get to keep your head, but at what cost!

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Caraphae [2012-06-01 04:21:55 +0000 UTC]

Rarely have monks had such incitement to celibacy! Well chosen monastic life, there.

The Loaves and Aphids- sooo, he produced loaves FOR the aphids? Or loaves full of aphids? On which the mantids then gorged?

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Fiction-Art-Author [2012-06-01 03:13:17 +0000 UTC]

Wow, very nice.

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Contradictory55 [2012-06-01 03:12:40 +0000 UTC]

I love that little story! ><

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GalacticDustBunnies [2012-06-01 03:02:45 +0000 UTC]

I love your artwork so much, and this one is especially nice L)
The texture on it really caught my eyes.

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Rafferty [2012-06-01 01:31:01 +0000 UTC]

When you sit and think about, it makes a lot of sense for a mantis to live a long life of celibacy.

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rachaelm5 [2012-06-01 00:56:32 +0000 UTC]

Well, yes. This makes perfectly good sense to me... *gigglesnort*

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tenko72 [2012-06-01 00:52:16 +0000 UTC]

This amuses me greatly.

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CassidyPeterson [2012-06-01 00:16:55 +0000 UTC]

I love the stories you attribute to your saints, they're always so hilarious.

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icenectar [2012-06-01 00:08:08 +0000 UTC]

You know I was wondering just the other day when I would see a new piece from you. Nice job!

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LuciusAppaloosius [2012-05-31 23:55:44 +0000 UTC]

Ah, yes.... 7@=e

Which reminds me: I *still* have to finish that frame for Frog Saint...

I had been trying to paint some batrachian angels for it, but they never came out quite right... 7X=Q

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rosutu [2012-05-31 23:44:01 +0000 UTC]

St. Mantid, may his thousand young forever prosper, was a charlatan. I agree, he was a kind and holy drone, but he is nothing compared to the likes of St. Rana, or Mother Didelphis, who actually changed the world for the better.

Besides, the story of the Loaves and Aphids goes so many different ways, it's most likely just an old legend.

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Tizrak [2012-05-31 23:36:51 +0000 UTC]

Yay, another saint! I love the stories.

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jennovazombie [2012-05-31 23:35:33 +0000 UTC]

Ahahaha...this is great! I love the story and the overall look of it, very well balanced!

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Mindslave24-7 [2012-05-31 23:33:02 +0000 UTC]

The sisters of the Order of the Ladybugs, always do love the story of the Miracle of the Loaves and Aphids ....
Such a lovely tale.

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Twisted-Existence [2012-05-31 23:31:55 +0000 UTC]

"Beheaded for obvious reasons" - that made me giggle.
Amusing story... and nice colours too.

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raptoregg64 [2012-05-31 23:26:22 +0000 UTC]

I love it! I also love the little stories you attach to them.
Ah, poor Brother Ignatius...

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