When I started painting, I was very much into portraiture. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to create an image that not only showed what a person looked like, but also emoted some of their personality. There can be "issue" with portraits though. You are telling someone else's story, and that story is the most meaningful to that person & those that know them. Others that see the portrait can appreciate the technical aspects of the work, theorize about the subject of the portrait, and draw connections between the image and their own knowledge base.
However, when you are faced with the image of another person you do not know...there are natural limitations to your connecting with the art. "I don't know them. I don't know their story. I don't know their connection to the world. Were they nice? Were they funny? Were they a good friend? Were they caring?" I stopped creating portraits because I felt their was a disconnect between my work & the viewer. I wanted to do things that conveyed meaning & connected to the deep parts.
You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down' you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139: 1-6
Sometimes we feel like the forgotten subject of a self portrait. We feel unknown, unloved, and alone. Life has a way of beating us down at times, and these feeling can creep into our minds & emotions and leave us feeling forgotten. It happens! Some people struggle with this more often than others, but I believe we all can say we've been their...if only for a short time. Psalm 139 is a great reminder to all of us that we are known, loved, and never alone. These are words we all need to hear....and some of us need to post around the house as a constant reminder of God's love! God has a portrait of you...and he connects deeply with the person he sees in it! He looks at you with the eyes of a father looking at his child. Not only does he look at you lovingly...but he does that knowing exactly who you are, what you've done, your strengths, your weaknesses....ALL OF IT! He knows you...he loves you....he is always there for you (even when you aren't "feeling" it!).
PRAYER
Dear Lord, Thank you for loving us.
Thank you for knowing us.
Thank you for always being with us.
May we know it...believe it...and live it!
In Christ's Name, AMEN
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