Hello friends, here we are at the midpoint of 2023. The story for this month is a very special one with quite a journey. I hope you enjoy reading about it!
“Spiritus” began as a blank canvas gifted to me by my ceramic artist friend, Julia Nygra. At the time, we were preparing for our group show called Healing Gardens at PoMoArts gallery which was taking place in February 2022. She messaged me and asked if I might be interested in a 2-by-3-foot canvas that she no longer had use for. When we met up for her to give it to me, I was surprised when what she brought out of her car was a 3-by-4-foot canvas! My kids were with me at the time and they had to share the back seat with this rather large canvas on our ride home. We giggled when the tops of their heads barely peeked out from behind the canvas.
Later, I came across this stunning sunrise photograph by local photographer Kristina Brisbin and I knew I wanted to paint it. Thankfully, Kristina graciously gave me permission to reference her photo. I thought it would be neat to paint a local scene inspired by a local photographer on a canvas gifted to me by a local artist for a local art show.
At the Healing Gardens show, Spiritus got a lot of attention and according to the gallery manager, a lot of people had stood in front of it for a good long while. Several friends also sent me selfies with it, telling me they really loved this piece. I priced it at $3000, which was more than I had sold anything for at that point, and I wasn’t sure if anyone would buy it. By the end of the show, only one of my smallest paintings has sold so I decided to just enjoy this piece in my home for a while.
Fast forward to November of that year when I received a text message from my spiritual director, Marcia, asking if Spiritus was still available. I had chosen it for the cover of my 2023 calendar so I thought that maybe seeing it on my calendar piqued her interest. Turns out, she had absolutely loved the painting at my art show but at the time, they hadn’t had a place to put it in their home. Over the summer they moved, and now there was a blank space above their couch. I invited her and her husband over to see the painting in person again and standing there in my living room, they looked at each other and said, “We’ll take it!” They wanted it framed so I helped do that for them and delivered it to their home just before Christmas.
It filled my heart – and still does – to know that this piece is home with Marcia. She has journeyed with me through the highs and lows of the last 14 years and it seems fitting that this special piece from my first group show would belong to her.
I titled this piece Spiritus because it means “breath” in Latin. While I was painting this, I was working on learning to breathe more deeply so that I could relax my body. The cloud formations in this piece also reminded me of the breath of heaven.
I chose this piece for the cover and the feature painting for July because it was my best work that year. I’m also pretty sure my youngest, whose birthday is in July, asked for it to be her birth month painting. I hope it invites you to breathe deeper and that the morning light gives you a sense of hope.
For those with the Scripture calendar
This month’s artwork is paired with Job 33:4 which reminds us, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” We often breathe without really thinking about it but if we pause and pay attention, we will recognize it for the miracle that it is.
Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: Take some deep, slow breaths. How does it feel to know that with each inhale and exhale, the Creator of the universe is giving you life? Imagine yourself in this painting. Where are you? How is God meeting you in that place?
Only 15 Tinies Remaining!
I recently had the privilege of visiting Toronto and seeing some family and old friends. I had brought what was left of my Tiny Expanses paintings to show people there and to my surprise and delight, 12 of them were adopted! This means that I only have 15 Tiny Expanses paintings remaining. THANK YOU to so many of you who have already bought them for yourselves or for others! If you have been thinking about getting one or need a nice gift for someone, I encourage you not to wait any longer. Head over to my online shop to view and purchase the remaining ones.
Thank you again for supporting my art journey. It truly is incredible that I get to share my gifts and make a living doing it.