Mik Landscape

Mik Landscape
*Kim would always sign her artwork Mik

If you look with a squint, or at a thumbnail sized photo of it, can you see the landscape in this painting? It is a landscape that reminds me of my friend, Kim, who passed into eternity yesterday. She and I were the same age, and she had been my friend for about 45 years. My family moved a lot in my early life, and she was the only friend who stayed connected over all that time, over all that distance.  We differed in nearly every opinion, especially in political and societal things, but remained friends. 

When we were young, and I would spend time with Kim, we would often hang out in the woods on her family's homestead. She knew every tree, and could tell me where plants grew and animals lived. She was never lost there (though I was) and I think she loved every inch of that property. 

8" x 8"

Painted with artist quality heavy-body acrylic paint on 1.5” deep canvas

Edges painted black

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In this little landscape, I can see snow, and spring green, and the hilly terrain that we walked on there. There is a part that looks like a path going back between the hill and trees, and spring wildflowers, and maybe the creek where we caught some people spearing carp that one time. And Kim's favorite color - green - with accents of purple - one of my favorite colors. 

This painting breaks the rules, and that is quite fitting for remembering my friend! She really did not fit into any box. She faced many things that were very difficult over her life. She would have loved to have been an artist full time, but after a short time working in commercial art, she became caretaker for her mother who eventually died of cancer. 

When we were in our late 20s or early 30s, Kim got non-Hodgkin lymphoma. When I was visiting her in the hospital, I said to her, "Kim, you know where I stand with God and with salvation, and with knowing the way to heaven. Can I talk to you about that?" She said, "I know where you stand, and I will let you know when you can talk to me about it." Don't get me wrong - Kim and I talked about God all the time, and I think she loved Him. But, as with everything else, she didn't follow 'the rules'. She didn't look like what most people would call a Christian. 

Kim never gave me that permission, though I did talk to her briefly when my Mom died. I am not sure whether she ever really chose to ask God for forgiveness for sin, and believe in Jesus as her only way to salvation and heaven. But she did know that He is the only way and I think and hope she chose to believe Him. And, since I never got her permission to speak further, I am now speaking to you, dear readers. Please, because I care about you and want you to experience eternal happiness in the presence of God, believe and choose to follow Him! 

John 3:15-16  so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”