Hello my friends, I don’t know about you, but world news feels harsh right now and I need some softness. Thankfully, the painting for this month is just that. I look forward to sharing its story with you.
“Let Gentleness Enfold You” was painted for my exhibition, “Have You Looked Up Lately?” which was held last August to November at Bevees, a shop that’s 4 minutes from our house. I was introduced to the owner of the shop, Racquel, by a mutual acquaintance who knew that Raquel was looking for local art to highlight on her walls. It was a lovely space with a store selling all alcohol-free drinks on one side and a sitting area and bar on the other. They were just putting in a new coffee bar as well and it felt like a perfect way to both support a local business and give myself a reason to complete a collection of paintings.
For many years, I had wanted to do a series of paintings that were just clouds. But because I mostly painted commissions (and the majority of my clients did not ask for only clouds), the idea remained a dream. Then, this opportunity at Bevees came up with a 20-something foot wall to fill. I had already completed a 5-foot cloud painting so I reasoned that it wouldn’t be too hard to do a couple more to go with it. It would also be a great way to use the blank canvases sitting around at home.
I looked through my folder of cloud and sky photos and found some that complemented each other while also showing variety. (The other two paintings are featured in my 2026 calendar in the months of May and November and I will tell their stories then!) I chose this one for its softness. The pastel colours and gentle light felt inviting and calming.
Painting this was so much fun. On a 24″x36″ canvas, I had lots of space to play with subtle shifts in colour and to explore the layers of shapes. The result was a floof that I could imagine myself falling into and being surrounded by softness. I titled it, “Let Gentleness Enfold You,” as an invitation to the viewer to do just that.
I chose this painting for the month of February because I associate this month with love (thanks, Hallmark, and St. Valentine!) and the soft and gentle nature of these clouds speak to me of how love can and should be. I could not foresee how our world would so desperately need gentleness at this time, but I’m grateful this piece can remind us of its presence now.
I hope that as we spend this short month with this painting, it would offer you many moments of gentleness and remind you that you are always held by love.
For those with the Scripture calendar:
I paired this month’s painting with one of my favourite verses. It’s from Zephaniah 3:17, which reads, “[God] will quiet you by his love.” The full verse (ESV) is this:
“The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Other translations express it as “God will rest in his love”, or that “God will calm all your fears with his love.” It always lifts and amazes me to think of God being so delighted over us and holding us in love.
Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: If you could nestle into this cloud, which part of it would you choose? Take a moment to imagine yourself surrounded by gentle softness; how does it feel? What parts of you need that rest? What are some ways you can carry that sense of being held within you as you go about your days?
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As always, I love to hear from you! If something in this story resonated with you, if you’re interested in commissioning a painting, or if you have other thoughts, feel free to email or connect with me on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks for being part of my journey and for letting me be a part of yours!