Ruth Stricklin, founder of New Jerusalem Studios and the artist behind the intricate designs for Ascension’s Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition—available for preorder beginning July 1, 2026—shows through her work how art can evangelize, how symbolism can teach the Faith, and how an entire creative process can become one continuous prayer.

Growing up under the Alaskan skies, Ruth first encountered God through beauty. Watching Mount McKinley from her window and the Northern Lights from a bus stop, she came to know a Creator who delights in sharing his splendor. Years later, that same love of beauty, shaped by Scripture and the liturgy, would guide her from Protestant evangelical roots into the Catholic Church and into a vocation as a sacred artist.

Inspired by the Creator 

Raised Christian although not Catholic, Ruth Stricklin connected with the Lord throughout her upbringing. She loved the beauty of the natural world and understood that God made the glories of creation because he loves us and wants us to enjoy them.

The magnificence of nature paved the road for Ruth to know the Lord’s love. The powerful influence of beauty would continue to follow her throughout her life and work. 

From Mural-Making Into Love of the Mass

After her studies, while still a Protestant evangelical, Ruth was asked to paint an altar backdrop mural depicting Christ in glory surrounded by forty saints for the Catholic high school where she worked. While she painted this backdrop for Xavier College Preparatory High School in Phoenix over the course of a year and a half, another deeper and very personal project was underway for Ruth. 

The backdrop depicted a scene from the book of Revelation in which Christ sits on the throne in heaven, with the waters of life flowing forth from him, surrounded by the angels and holy ones (Revelation 22). As she learned about the wedding feast of the Lamb and the promise of eternity from these passages in Revelation, preparing the mural naturally led Ruth to discover the Mass. 

An eagerness for the Eucharist drew her into the Catholic Church. Ruth is clear that her work played an influential role in her catechetical process:

“Through that process of the art, I was evangelized in the Faith, and I see the power of beauty and sacred art to be able to reach people that way."

Desiring to contribute to liturgical renewal through the same powerful beauty of sacred art, Ruth and her husband Geoff began a company of their own in 2014. They chose the name New Jerusalem Studios, inspired by the imagery in Revelation 21:2, which says, “I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Just as the theology and visual symbolism of the book of Revelation led her into the fullness of the Catholic Faith, now, through New Jerusalem Studios, Ruth creates art murals that she hopes will do the same for others.

Sacramental Symbolism

Many influences help Ruth impart a sense of the sacred in her work. She recalls the spectacular beauty of nature that impacted her so deeply as a child in Alaska. She draws on insights and principles from her courses in Sacred Art at the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Illinois, where she learned that the purpose of beauty in sacred art is to convey the truths of the Catholic Faith. But the distinctive feature of Ruth's artistry is a gentle blend of the Eastern and Western aspects of the Catholic Church. She looks to both the Byzantine iconography and the paintings of great European masters like Fra Angelico for inspiration.

In fact, Ruth shares that she begins a piece by first consulting iconography, one of the Catholic Faith's most ancient traditions expressed in the richness of the Eastern Church. Ruth has learned that every feature of an icon is placed intentionally, and she studies this meaning. 

Deeply aware of the power of symbolism, Ruth believes that "it might cause a conversion of heart, it might cause a transformation in the person, because of the power of beauty: it evangelizes, it conveys truth." 

Implementing the same symbolism in her own work, Ruth seeks to introduce people to the sacramental beauty of the Catholic Faith. 

In drawing on these ancient, established forms of beauty, Ruth is building on a tradition, not standing on her own. Community helps, too: depending on the piece she is working on, she usually gains the help of a few friends along the way –– the saints.

“I'll pray to any saint I'm painting,” she shares. “I'll just ask, ‘please help me paint you accurately.’ It's great, because I always get to learn about new saints that way!” 

The presence of the saints in Ruth’s painting process certainly helps her art express a little more of heaven. 

One Big Prayer

Ruth’s entire process can be summed up in one word: prayer. She offers her work to the Lord before she begins and continues conversing with him in her heart as it unfolds. Two of Ruth's favorite prayers for her art are St. Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit and the Surrender Prayer refrain. By viewing her creative process as a continuous, nonverbal prayer, she approaches each piece with intention and openness.

Through this lens, Ruth experiences God alongside her work, and what might feel like pressure transforms into gratitude—for the opportunity, the calling, and the chance to share his beauty with others. Her story reminds us that sacred art is not just about the finished piece, but about a prayerful journey that can inspire and evangelize all who encounter it.

Beginning July 1, 2026, Ascension will open preorders for the complete four-volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition, featuring the beautiful artwork of Ruth Stricklin. To learn more about the Liturgy of the Hours, visit www.AscensionPress.com/LOTH.