Yesterday I realized I had three different paintings in my car all on three different journeys.
This first painting "Loving Arms" found a new home. This baby has always been special to me. It is the first page in a book I illustrated for @michele.grisham.31 called God Loves You! “Michele has a sweet heart for God and feels God’s call to reach the unchurched. She has written three books. I am excited about her newest venture to re release her books with a new publishing company. We plan to revamp “God Loves you” and publish it with a Christian company that will market it and get her message to more people. Or I should say, God’s message. Her writing is very Bible based and is reliable truth. I will post an update when the book is released.
“While you were sleeping” is one of my more recent paintings. This watercolor just came down from the Public Works Art Center in historic downtown Summerville for the Summerville all Member show. This one is my first born son with his first born son. I love the way they are tenderly holding hands. It seems like a perfect moment of love, comfort, contentment and security. My son always loved kids and looked forward to being a dad. It brings me the most intense joy watching him tenderly care for his two boys. I always knew he would be an awesome father.
“Forgiven” my woven watercolor was on display at the Old Santee Canal Park this month and I am happy to share that it won 3rd place in the mixed media category. I am pleased the judge found it interesting. I have renamed this painting three times. It was kind of a challenge for me at first. This painting started as an illustration for one of Michele’s books that I mentioned earlier. This was to be the page on the importance of forgiveness.
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-16
Ouch. I should mention this was at a time in my life that I cut off contact with a family member. I had gone an entire year without speaking or seeing this person, because I was dealing with the trauma of a broken dysfunctional relationship. God helped me to look at both sides of the relationship and see the brokenness and vulnerability that I had to have compassion for and not hold resentment. The anger and resentment were hurting both of us. God helped me see that His forgiveness is so perfect and completely unselfish. If he can forgive me, in all my sins, I can forgive too. Forgiveness feels so much better than anger.
I wanted to show the compassion of forgiving but mostly the tenderness of reconciliation. I painted two paintings. The first seemed a little dark and gloomy for the book so I painted a second, which made it to the book. To truly depict “Forgiveness” I cut up both paintings and wove them back together. I love this process of breaking down two things and joining them together. The synergy of the two images coming together always pleases me. As I was piecing the strips of paper together, I reflected on my broken relationship and how God had given me peace. The fragments are still visible in the painting. I think that is an important element. The hurt is never erased. Consequences remain as ripples in the lives of everyone involved. That doesn’t mean we can’t forgive and move forward in love.
Above is a short video of the final painting coming together.
Oh cousin... you are an amazing woman and I love watching all the wonderful thing you get yourself into... from backyard exploration to eating all the new southern cuisine across South Carolina!!!
You make me homesick and I love it!!!😘
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