Genetic Code

It’s wonderful to live in a time where we have available to us so much knowledge via technology. It has opened opportunities for all of us to explore and experience things we would have not been able to see, right from the comfort of our own homes, schools or business. Awesome!!!

But since technology has become every day or familiar a sense of wonder is replaced with a sense of ordinary. It’s only when I take the time to think about technology a sense of fascination is stirred…how images and sounds can transfer from one location to another!

I love living in S. Florida because of all the tropical foliage. One is surrounded in an oasis of lushness and beauty. There is a vast amount of subject matter that inspires and speaks to my soul.

Painting is a way I get to stir up the wonder in the ordinary. It helps me stop, study, choose colors, placement of the image on my canvas and explore what I see. Such as what are the values of the colors, how do the shapes relate to one another, what textures do I see?

I love orchids and have attached many on my trees or have them hanging in baskets all around my studio. I am fascinated by their lovely pedals, and fleshy underground tubers.

Here are some fun facts about orchids.

They have over 20,000 different species and were considered exotic gifts of love in the Victorian Era since they could only be gotten in the Tropics. The Ancient Greeks believed if they ate the tuber it would determine their child’s sex. In China, orchids are regarded as emblems of integrity, elegance and friendship.  

Plus like all flowers their colors are symbolic of different qualities such as:

White for humility and purity, as well as elegance and reverence

Pink femininity, grace and joy

Yellow friendship and new beginnings

Purple royalty and admiration

Orange pride, enthusiasm, and boldness

Ok back to painting -

Normally I just work in oil on a canvas but for “Genetic Code” I chose to work on a wood panel and play around with some texture medium by Golden Gel Medium Soft Gel Matte mixed with Liquitex inks and Pearl Ex pigments, Blick studio grade acrylic paints and a stencil I got from Michaels.  It was refreshing and stirred up my inner child to get a bit messy and just play around. Not really knowing where it would all lead. As patterns immerged and the background developed it became my place of wonder and awe. The marbled aqua circle represented those things that hold together the things I cannot see with my naked eye. If it wasn’t for the microscope, I wouldn’t understand cells and the diversity they hold inside which forms life as we see it.

After the background dried, I started to sketch out the orchid using my oil paints. As the orchid started to come together it made me realize how this act of exploring different medium and being present to the process was the universe reminding me of the intricacy of all creation. That many cells holding all forms of life together working in unity to form and display their uniqueness and beauty.

The ordinary lead to wonder and worship of God as Creator - His greatness and design. As usually after I paint a flower, I look up the meaning of it and what its color represents.   I felt a kiss from God as I read the words reverence and humility. For that is what my soul felt as I stood back and looked at my painting. I had a sense of gratitude for the loving details placed here carefully crafted for all mankind’s use and enjoyment.

 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1

“Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness” Psalm 107:8

What ordinary thing leads you to worship and have an attitude of gratitude?