Beacons of hope
I had the chance to visit the AppArt exhibition in Godalming on Friday where two of my paintings are on display. In times of so much sobering, sad news, it was encouraging to see human creativity used for a positive purpose.
With more than 750 artworks on display, there was something new to discover at every turn. I particularly liked some of the large upcycled outdoor sculptures and enjoyed learning about different painting techniques.
I want to create art that is thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting. In last week’s blogpost, I shared about the inspiration behind my “Memories” painting. This week I want to tell you more about a painting I called "Let there be light". The 30cm x 30cm canvas was created in the summer of 2021 to offer a sense of hope amidst the darkness of the pandemic. My longing for light and hope have only increased since then.
At Earth Hour a few weeks ago, we switched off the main light in the evening and lit a candle. It made me more aware of how much we depend on light and need to stay close to the light to find our way.
The painting was inspired by night walks around the time of full moons and super moons. As someone who gets easily disorientated at night, it is a relief when the moon lights my path on a clear night.
As world events continue to show, very few things are predictable. However, regardless of what is happening in the world, the moon still waxes and wanes in a predictable fashion. Maybe this is one of the reasons that some important festivals are linked to the cycle of the moon.
This coming Friday is the beginning of Passover and the Easter weekend in the Western church (the Eastern and Orthodox church celebrates Easter a week later.) For me, Easter is a reminder that death and destruction do not have the final say, even though a restored world is hard to imagine when we are bombarded with images of destruction and despair...
The painting can also be hung in a different way - check out my original blogpost . Whichever way you turn it, I hope my painting conveys the message that light is ultimately stronger than darkness.
The AppArt exhibition is held at Prior's Field School, Godalming GU7 2RH and is open until Sunday, 24th April from 10am-4pm. I am looking forward to taking another look at the amazing work on display when I am stewarding on 23rd April. (Please say “hi” if you pop in on that day.)