The Very First Vision for my Artwork
“Sandy Dreams”
Painting Description
As always you are free to interpret this piece however you choose or are led to understand it.
These are simply my own thoughts which I feel inspired to share.
My own interpretations change as I revisit with pieces as time goes on, but these are my initial thoughts at the time of creation.
I don't know how to start writing about this painting, it's been such a long journey. Originally this painting was titled “How Beautiful the Art that Brings Good News!”
It's a dream I had; a moving drawing on a piece of paper. My hand and foot were part of the drawing and as the waves would come in and out, my hand and foot would disappear under the water and then when they reappeared they had switched places, the hand was now a foot and the foot now a hand. The dream was very vivid and stuck with me. Naturally I start looking for its significance.
I had the dream when I was in New Zealand at a time when I was aching to paint but didn't have any supplies. Outside of our plans we ended up at a YWAM (youth with a mission) base, where they were remodeling a room and needed some artwork to hang. After I helped paint the woodwork I would get busy painting with supplies someone happened to have on hand, I even got to paint on a really big canvas. I considered this nothing less than a gift from God, a confirmation of what I've known since I first began painting, that God has plans to use my art and that I don't have to worry how He will provide or even how it will be used.
During all this, verses in the Bible about hands and craftsmen were really popping out to me.
I have always put a lot of emphasis on my hands being important to my art. But after so much focus on my artwork and putting a lot of importance on it, I had this dream. And what I've learned from it is that although my art is important (which is what the hand symbolizes) my feet are just as important as my hands. And feet to me, have always meant, sharing the good news of the gospel, like the Bible verse says,
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" Isaiah 52:7
So I must conclude that my artwork should be a way of sharing with others what God has done in my life! That really excites me, not just because it's nice to have purpose to your passion, but because it causes me to be in communication with God. More than anything in this life, being close to God is our purpose, where we find life and true satisfaction! As the waves come in and go out, we may experience this in different ways. Its beauty is in the personal journey.