This past week while working on this painting of  “The World Within;  a Journey in Meditation,”  the creative door slammed shut.  No creative “juices” were flowing…nada..nothing,  I was at a stand still!  Can you identify?  This process seems to happen periodically to [...]]]> Visio Divina – Have you ever Hit a Creative Wall while Painting a Picture?

This past week while working on this painting of  “The World Within;  a Journey in Meditation,”  the creative door slammed shut.  No creative “juices” were flowing…nada..nothing,  I was at a stand still!  Can you identify?  This process seems to happen periodically to all creative people.  Painting by inspiration is a process and each step on this spiritual journey requires reliance on the Holy Spirit.  It’s as though you are creating or walking like a person that is blind!  We need help to take the next step or go in a new direction.  This can be true in every aspect of our lives.

How Do You Open the Door?

While walking into the studio to get some brushes that needed cleaning, I glanced at the painting.  Wham! Ah Ha,  I had a “serendipity moment!”  There was a TRIANGLE in the middle of the painting.  Then a complete thought came, not sentences or some words but a “creative revelation.”  This is difficult to explain but you know it when it happens to you….it’s Visio Divina, Divine Seeing. Then you realize you are not alone in the creative process!

We Don’t,  God Does!            

At each point in the TRIANGLE was a symbol of the Godhead.  The Lion, representing God the Father;  The boat (you) being guided by the Christ, the Shepherd of Your Soul, and the Holy Spirit hovering over the water bringing forth creation. WOW!  Yahweh is already at work before we even realize it… initiating, guiding, leading us to the place within.  This place of meditation, prayer,  revelation and even creation.  This is the Kingdom of God where spiritual sight is given,  revelation,  understanding,  and SO MUCH MORE!

The Divine Dance

In every Visio Divina  painting you study or paint, I believe you will learn something about this Divine Dance with God.  My hope is this blog blesses you today.  May you keep on dancing even when you don’t know all the right steps because you have a great teacher within you! ♥

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In today’s blog I’ll show how I develop a mystical or contemplative painting.

This type of painting would classically be called  “Visio Divina” or “Divine Seeing”.  If you would like more information, there is an earlier blog written on this subject.  Because of my work as a spiritual director and a practitioner of [...]]]> Creating Visio Divina

In today’s blog I’ll show how I develop a mystical or contemplative painting.

This type of painting would classically be called  “Visio Divina” or “Divine Seeing”.  If you would like more information, there is an earlier blog written on this subject.  Because of my work as a spiritual director and a practitioner of contemplative prayer,  people are always asking questions about meditation.  So besides just teaching with “words”,  the thought was to create a painting to represent “the journey within”.  This process will be fun, very creative,  and challenging.  I will be taking concepts from the unseen world,  interpreting them,  and creating a painting for the seeing world.   Also,  as a finished work, there would be a painting that could be used to explore Visio Divina and meditation.

The Beginning

The painting was started using blues, purples and blacks to form a dark outer edge around the canvas.  This idea was based on the scriptural teaching that the “Kingdom of God is within”.  Another passage speaks of;  “the Temple of God being inside of us”.  The Holy of Holies,  which is the most interior part of the temple is totally dark,  the light that is produced comes from the  “Shekinah Glory of God”.

Next,  on the bottom left of the picture I placed a boat;  representing the meditative journey which begins by becoming quiet and looking inward towards Kingdom.  Then the symbol of the  “Lion of Judah”  was added to represent a concept of the nature of God. 

This picture is not yet named,  some ideas are;  Entering the Garden, or  The Kingdom Within.  I would love to hear any ideas you might have for the painting or the title.  You can write your ideas in “leave a comment” which is located at the end of the Tags at the bottom of this blog.