A Meadow for Patra
The Inspiration
The inspiration for this painting came from a photo I came across online of this beautiful field full of flowers. It seemed crisp and clean and sunny and the perfect subject for a painting.
The Palette
For this one, I used my typical palette, Ultramarine, Alizarin, Titanium White, Lemon Yellow, and Cadmium Yellow but I left out the Yellow Ochre and Burnt Sienna and added in Rose Red for the lovely pinks.
The Painting
This is Patra’s Meadow, 30″ x 24″done in oil with a palette knife on gallery-wrapped canvas. After working on small pieces lately, it was so fun to explore this larger canvas and fill it with color.
The Peace
Last week I had the opportunity to witness a wedding in a beautiful field with mountains in the back ground. The air was perfect. It was like music my lungs could breath and I remember noticing the complete peace I experienced there waiting for the ceremony to begin. There was nothing lacking, nothing needed, no pressure… just peace. I have tried to create space in my life for that to remain the posture of my heart lately and when it happened, I was still surprised. This passage from Matthew puts peace in perfect perspective.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
When I came home from that trip, I was inspired to finish this painting.
Check out more landscapes here! Enjoy! Let me know what inspires you?
