The church form speaks to Roberto’s love of ecclesiastical architecture and springs from his monastic background and southwestern travels. The churches, built of pine and richly painted, are about 12" wide and 16" high and vary in length.

Chrysopolitissa Church, Paphos, Greece
Painted pine with 22K gold leaf

Although Roberto spends many long hours researching these historical buildings, his sculptures are not built exactly to scale, rather they are intepretations. They embody the spirit of the church and the love that he feels for them.  The weathered effect is achieved by a great deal of carving, scraping, staining and painting. Using artistic license, Cardinale chooses unusual colors as well when he creates these beautiful works of art.

Roberto is represented by a number of galleries in the Southwest US: