End of an Era at Pour It Out, Sunshine Coast
I began this painting with a blank canvas and even blanker mind, except for a sense that “we” weren’t painting a pouring it out theme tonight. Just before worship began John Evans (church leader) spoke to me how tonight marked a transitioning from Sunday afternoon services to the beginning of a new era next week (services at 10am and 5pm). A friend also spoke about now being a time of a “wake up call”.
Every time I step up to the canvas I know God will speak. I totally trust His process, whether I have a hint about what I’m painting or not.
I began with smoooshes of white, yellow and red oxide, and just let my hands dance in the paint. I turned the canvas several times as I covered the canvas. A light emerged in the centre and I decided on olive green to spray up from one side. I turned the canvas again and saw a path emerge through the green.
As the brush strokes resonated with the drum beats I started to use a darker colour, and noticed the paint dripping. I put my hands into the bowl of water and added wet hand prints over the paint strokes. As the paint and water dripped I felt the tears of many people. I sensed God saying “I’ve seen all your tears. I’ve seen all their tears.” It was a very strong sense of someone holding you as you sobbed your heart out.
I kept painting as the worship band pounded “Deep Cries Out” and then I noticed I’d painted flowers over the tears. Yes. He turns mourning into joy.
I’m questioning as I paint: Lord how? How do you do that? How does joy come into our sorrow? I sensed His hand holding a sea of tears, His hand closing over them tightly, and when He opened His hand again there was a mass of spring flowers in His palm.
The band were playing “Presence” and the atmosphere of praise was intense. In the painting the path had become prominent, the light of heaven shining onto each step. Each step going from purity (white) to glory (gold). I suddenly saw a rainbow-like halo over the scene, like an enormous cloud of witnesses.
Sometimes the simplest of paintings carry a weight of meaning purely because of the atmosphere they were created in. Follow the path. Follow the light.
