Items Made in New Orleans
The Seelos Shrine is pleased to present unique items from artists who call the New Orleans area home. Below you will find various pieces ranging from jewelry and sacramental items to songs and paintings. When you purchase an item through the Shrine, all proceeds go directly to continuing Blessed Seelos’ mission. Thank you for supporting both our local artists and the work of the Seelos Shrine!
Barbara Brocato, Painter
Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1949, Barbara knew at an early age that she would be an artist. She majored in art in high school and college and for 30 years she painted, but did not really enjoy the process. In 1995 Barbara’s parish priest asked her to do a painting to send to Pope John Paul II. While working on the painting, an amazing thing happened! She realized she was enjoying every minute. Barbara began painting religious art and mosaics, but it wasn’t until 2000 that she was introduced to Iconography by teacher, Philip Zimmerman.
Barbara can’t describe how privileged she feels to be painting Jesus, His Mother Mary, the saints, angels and prophets. She might be the happiest artist in the world.
Raymond Calvert, Iconographer
A native New Orleanian, Raymond Calvert grew up in the 9th Ward. He graduated from Saint Joseph Seminary, Tulane University and Notre Dame Seminary. Primarily, he worked as a graphic artist for the Boeing Company and the LSU School of Dentistry.
In fine arts, he has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. In 1995 he began studying iconography with master iconographer, Philip Zimmerman. Several chapels and churches have commissioned icons by him. Icons depicting the Stations of the Cross, done for Saint Monica Catholic Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, are now in a book for individual prayer and meditation.
Kitty Cleveland, Singer & Songwriter
Kitty Cleveland, a singer/songwriter and inspirational speaker from New Orleans, began her professional career as a lawyer and then as a college professor. But in an adoration chapel one day in 1998, as she searched for God during a devastating family crisis, she clearly heard the Lord Jesus call her to become a “music missionary.” Kitty heeded the call and has since released multiple CDs of music and prayer.
Kitty lives in the New Orleans area with her musician husband and teen daughter, whom they adopted from China in 2005. In addition to praying with people for healing and encouragement, she enjoys cooking, gardening, oil painting, and writing.
Trish Foti, Singer
Trish Foti is a New Orleans native known for her emotion-packed performances. Classically trained, Trish studied voice at Texas Christian University and is a graduate of Louisiana State University. A Music Minister in the Church for over 30 years, she has served as Music Director, Choir Director, and Cantor throughout the state. She is the former Cantor at St. Louis Cathedral and was Music Director for a decade at Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church in New Orleans. Trish also has over 25 years experience in the music classroom.
Trish is a soloist, cantor, and recording artist with her base in New Orleans. She often performs nationally at conventions. Additionally, she is a sought-after national vocal coach working closely for films and TV series.
Trish maintains an “in demand” vocal studio in New Orleans offering instruction to both students and professionals. Her students have gone on to singing professionally in New York City, Tennessee, Florida, and California. She also works with local “girl groups” such as the “Dazzle Dolls” and members of the “Victory Bells”.
Paulette Lizano, Glass Artist
Paulette is a glass artist and educator in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dating back to 1986, in a backyard workshop, her love and passion for glass began. Paulette explored glass and went on to receive a Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University and shortly afterwards established Lizano’s Glass Haus in 1995.
As an architect, Paulette was trained to envision space, form and function creating structures that harmonized with their environment and meet the needs of those who inhabit them. Her journey into glass art has been a natural evolution of this passion for shaping light, space and materials. In architecture, Paulette sought to design spaces that evoked emotion, clarity and purpose; in glass, she found more intimate ways of expressing those principles.
Through her work, she is able to capture the interplay of light, reflection and movement, creating forms that shift and change depending on how they are viewed. Each piece becomes an exploration of the relationship between material and light, and how these elements transform one’s perception of space. Her architectural background deeply influences her approach to glass art; the precision of geometry, the play of light and shadow, and the careful consideration of form are all essential elements in her work. However, glass offers a new freedom – an opportunity to experiment with organic forms, colors and textures that transcend rigid constraints.
Paulette is driven by the desire to create pieces that evoke a sense of wonder and connection, inviting the viewer to experience the subtle beauty in light and form. Glass, with its ability to both reveal and conceal, provides an ideal medium for this exploration. Paulette’s work ranges from traditional stained glass to fused glass and a combination of the two; as well as mosaic work in large and small and most recently she has dived into the world of micro mosaics.
Carol Morales, Handcrafter
Carol Morales is a life-long resident of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana. She received her degree as a registered nurse from Charity Hospital School of Nursing and has spent 31 years in the medical field. Carol serves as a Eucharistic minister of holy communion and as an Advanced Catechist. In 2022, she was inducted into The Order of St. Louis.
Carol makes candles as a hobby. She donates her candle proceeds to those battling cancer and to help fund religious education programs in St. Bernard Parish. Carol says, “By Mary, we share her Son. I have been blessed to bring Mother Mary and her Son by the most Holy Eucharist. It is an honor to teach our youth that they may grow in grace and faith. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, ‘For it is in giving that we receive.'”
Marina G. Reed, 
Painter
Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, Marina Reed has been in the New Orleans area since 1965. She holds a BS degree from the University of New Orleans in Mechanical Engineering. Now that she is retired, she is pursuing her dream to be an artist.
Marina prefers watercolors because of the challenge they present due to the fast drying property of the medium. She likes to paint architectural details, as well as landscapes. Marina is a member of the New Orleans Art Association, Westbank Art Guild, and Louisiana Watercolor Society. Her mission is to show the beauty of the architecture in New Orleans, as well as in the places to which she travels, incorporating this in the landscapes of the places she paints.
Angelle Skaggs, Graphic Designer & Handcrafter
Angelle has been a graphic designer since graduating from college with a degree in art in 2001. Over the last few decades, she has created a large portfolio of work for businesses and individuals around the country, from websites (like this one) to billboards, logos, magazines, and everything in between.
A New Orleans native, Angelle picked up a crayon as a toddler and hasn’t stopped creating since. She spends her spare time traveling with her husband, painting, crafting, cooking and baking.
Rachelle Woodard, Painter & Calligrapher
Rachelle Woodard is an interior designer and artist in Covington, Louisiana. While she has designed residential projects in many states, she is also a calligrapher, iconographer, and artist, working in pastel, oil, and watercolor. Rachelle has been recently inspired to paint many of the saints, both ancient and modern day. Her collection ranges from well-known saints to lesser-known blessed. Her mission is to promote these saints in a fresh way, as well as introduce people to the richness and beauty of their lives. The cards are a small way of offering thanksgiving to God for His many gifts.
Rachelle says, “When I paint a particular saint, I pray for their intercession to capture their likeness, and I have been utterly pleased and surprised.”
