the STORY behind the PAINTING
This painting and I spent much of 2023 together – usually staring at each other in contemplation, but with many moments of push and pull of cool-hued oil paint between us through the months, too.
As soon as the first layer of color was marked across the canvas, I didn't like any bit of it, so I covered it in full with deep greens once the initial paint had dried. Then a spectrum of cobalt blues found their way onto the surface – emphasizing a sense of deep waters. I brought a sweeping of vivid teal into the piece that seemed to illuminate against the darkness. It was like looking into the depths of an ocean, yet the sun's rays kept finding their way through the rushing waves – just as it is written in Psalm 139:9-10, “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
And yet, this painting did not only remain in the uttermost parts of the sea. It led me through the weavings of new layers until we reached the surface together, coming to a place of blooming – like new life found in the One who breathes Life. Ah yes, for “You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:13).
The DNA of our Creator is written in every cell of our being – from the sea of skin on our head to our toes, to the blood rushing in and out of our beating hearts. And here, in us and through us, is where His Holy Spirit dwells – as long as we invite Him.
From the inmost to the uttermost, O Lord, You are there.
And oh, how You know I've been needing this reminder: that no anxious thought, no paralyzing fear, no nightmare from the enemy, no witnessing of beauty, no sun-kissed moment, and no hope now fulfilled is outside of Your sovereign care. You are before, within, and beyond the inmost to the uttermost of all that is.
What a generous gift the process of this painting has been for my being, and what a gift it is to now share it with you. Wherever this piece finds a home, I hope the words of Psalm 139 echo for those who linger with it.