as yet untitled, WIP

This one's for my baby girl, Nahlia.

It's been such a long time since I've written here, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been getting my hands into some colour!  Since my last post I've moved house and had a baby, but I was and am determined to not let my new duties completely over-ride my passion for painting.

I've had the idea for this painting since before my little cherub, was born in early April of this year, and I've been slowly putting paint to canvas.  Today it felt great to finish the background!  As is often the case, the photo does not show the true colours.  It's 'a little bit by little bit' painting, but I'm excited to have gotten this far!

Renewal

This is about what Jesus does is in my heart - He cleans up the mess, pulls up the weeds, and allows me to grow and bloom in His love.  That's what Easter means to me.

Dimensions: 76cm H x 61cm W.

Freedom

 The concept for this painting is freedom - the kind that Jesus brings into our hearts and lives.  This is a picture of what God has for his children (for me).  It's not simply about flying, it's about where I'm flying - in His kingdom (not my own!).  Also, it isn't something which is a future promise - I'm flying right now in His kingdom when I'm surrendered to Him and living in Him.

Detail of eagle - above. 

Dimensions: 44.5cm (H) x 75cm (L).

Fire

At the last Expressions night at my local church, I started this painting.  I had the impression of a wave of fire during Sunday worship a couple of weeks before, so I gave it a go.  I feel that this is what God is doing among the church right now, and that it is a beautiful thing.  The encouragement here is to embrace what God is doing, acknowledging the pain of His refinement and of our growth, but embracing it and enduring it nonetheless.  He does beautiful things in our lives if we let Him lead us through the fire.

His sun is rising on me

'His sun is rising on me'

Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

I just had a colour in mind for this one - yellow. I felt God tell me that it was going to be a sun rising/arisen and that it followed from my last painting about the dawn. It makes perfect sense to me - as His light comes more and more into my life and washes away the guilt and things of the past, the more He is shining in me and through me. I really wanted the light from the sun to radiate out from it and felt that this is like His light shining in me which radiates out. It cannot be contained or locked away, as that is the exact opposite of the nature of light.

Spring

'Spring' I have been feeling very excited inside lately, like God's going to do something new. Today I played in the backyard. I love how God seems to put stuff in my paintings -there's a cross in the background which I didn't intend to paint. The small delicate flowers are for spring - new life - hope. In the background is the dawn of a new day.
Note the cardboard and sticks on the ground. I didn't use any brushes this time. I always feel like a child when I paint, and sometimes what comes out looks like a child's drawing to me, especially when I set out to paint something real, like sunflowers. It's much less stressful to paint with only a few feelings and some colours in mind. That works much better for me.

Messy heart

'Messy Heart'

I just felt like painting, so I played with colours and forms. I made it into a heart shape and felt that in the middle should be a flower, partly covered by the 'mess'. Lastly I threw on some paint using a straw - that was fun! After I finished I found a figure in my painting - to the left of the centre. To me it looks like Jesus with His arm in the air, fighting through the mess to free me.

Angels of fire

'Angels of Fire'I call this one 'Angels of Fire', but I'm not quite sure what it is. I was just playing with the colours that I liked and this is what happened.

Arise

'Arise' This is the first painting I did during a worship gathering, in Hurlach, Germany, 2006. I just felt that the Holy Spirit wanted to break into our world all around us, and I imagined that this is what it would look like.