Good morning…
After creating Martha’s Happy Painting, my artist friend, Gina, talked about the process of transforming the unfinished painting I had purchase at a flea market.
“Sue, the original looked like the painter was struggling with body form, layout and color,” Gina wrote. “The colors were cold and it had no depth. I did not like the straight line of what may have been a stage. I wanted to add life and have the figures interact, but all be unique. Using your chosen colors from the JazzDancing painting, yet bringing in light from the windows of the sanctuary that you all dance in. The figures look like they are all mid dance in their own unique way and not like the original – deformed and all in a straight line with the same pose.”
“Resurrecting this painting was a good embracement personally for me.” Gina told me her story.
“As a very young girl, probably 7-8 years old, my mother had me stand in ballerina pose for hours and days as she struggled in her basement studio of our house to paint me,” Gina explained. “She could never get the proportions correctly painted. I was standing there in my little pink leotard and pink ballet shoes trying to be still for her, posing with my feet parallel – heels touching – and ballet hands in front, posing for hours and hours and days and days. It was way before cell phones – and painting from a model was familiar to her. She never got it right, and my deformed portrait – arms too long, body a bit off, face almost right, little girl brown straight shoulder length hair with bangs and straight little girl figure, which had not yet blossomed – this poor painting was in a closet for years until in a move it disappeared.”
“What a poignant story,” I replied. “It relates so well with this process of growing into our true selves, the harsh expectations of others disappearing, as God’s unconditional love finds us hiding in the closet. Once this surprise gift is shared with Martha, might I share this story about how painting freely over the misshapen bodies became a process of healing for you?”
“Oh sure,” she said. “You are welcome to share.”
The struggling of others impacts us deeply. Her mother could never get the proportions correct. As a very young girl, Gina would stand there trying to be still. Posing for hours and hours and days and days. Her mom never got it right. Deformed portrait. Arms too long. Body off. Face almost right. A straight little girl figure with straight brown hair and bangs. The compliant child had not yet blossomed. She was closeted for years, trying, posing, never getting it right. Then, in a move orchestrated by the Spirit, the little girl disappeared to blossom into the endless love of God.
“Resurrecting this painting was a good embracement personally for me,” Gina said, an unfinished painting made vibrantly new. As God’s Spirit dances through our lives, we are freed to be our true, unique self. Embodying the lasting freedom only God can bestow, we begin to free others into their own life-giving dance with God.
For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us] (Ephesians 2:10, AMP).
…Sue…
P.S. To explore Gina’s artistic jewelry and unique art pieces, please visit her website, Nara Jade.
