Showers & Fireflies

Showers & Fireflies

This new, bright abstract painting is such a delight to me! Not only has it turned out to be one I really like, but something fun happened with the framing of it. Let me tell you the story. 

Some time ago, like maybe last year, I accidentally ordered a frame in the wrong size. Most of my large abstract paintings are on deep canvases with painted sides so they do not require frames, but for whatever reason, I needed a large frame. Since I had the wrong sized frame, I ordered a canvas to fit it. But when I opened the frame, it was damaged, so the vendor replaced it. I was able to use the damaged frame, so I ordered another canvas to fit the replacement. (Can you see where this is all going?!) When I finished this painting on the new canvas, ready to fit the frame, I thought to myself, “Rats. This painting would have looked great in a WHITE frame instead of a black one.” I was just so surprised and happy to retrieve the frame from storage to find that it IS white, not black like I was remembering. (Forgive me if this seems anticlimactic, but it was so significant to me… ) 

36" x 24"
Painted with the finest quality acrylic heavy-body paint on canvas 
Ready to frame (Ha! The frame is available from me – contact me for info.)
Click here to view or purchase on my website.

Several days ago, I watched rain drops landing on the swimming pool, and this painting really reminds me of that. I find the patterns of the drips and the bubbles that they sometimes make, and also the concentric rings that move out from each drop to be mesmerizing! And when the shower comes in the early morning or in the evening, sometimes the fireflies are out under the big tree. Can you see them here?

Showers & Fireflies has so many layers, and as has been happening frequently lately, the layers were becoming uglier as I worked on them. So discouraging! I kept working and hoping for improvement even as I recognized the struggle would lead in interesting directions. To the strong reds and deep blues and purples, I added bright curves and geometric patterns, but the results were not happy.

When my work gets to a certain point, I begin to really wrestle with it, using my study of color and composition in order to bring about a result that I can be happy with, and sometimes it takes days and even weeks of work to find a solution. That is what was happening with this one. So while I worked on it mentally, I kept my brushes wet on plein air painting and preparing substrates for new work. 

Not to be heavy handed here, but life layers seem to be getting uglier lately. There have been swirls of bright encouragement, like a new baby in the family, and a new-t0-her home for someone dear to me, but there have also been a lot of dark, deep waters. And the results have not been happy. Clearly, these things have painted themselves into this work on canvas. 

Now my assignment, as I see it, is to wait unhurriedly for the work of my Heavenly Father as He brings about something beautiful from all of these layers. Two Bible verses come to mind. 
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord. 
2 Peter 3:8 Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 

Coram Deo (before the face of God)