Today I
wanted to share with you my first attempt to paint with oil pastels. I was
pleasantly surprised by the versatility of this medium. I suppose the subject
of my painting doesn’t come as a surprise to you, because lately Mother Mary
appears on every drawing or painting I create. I find it so easy to relate to
her and in doing so to relate to the Divine Feminine again.
This
particular painting is inspired by the song “Mary did you know"
This
song tells us about how little Mary knew up front about the future of her baby.
In the song the importance of his life is highlighted but it also got me
thinking about the hardships she had to endure being his mother. I can't help but wonder...if she would
have known, would she have said; “Behold the servant of the Lord”
And that brings me back to my own life: if I would have known the sorrow and the pain, the struggles and the challenges I would have to endure in this life, would I chose for this life again, say yes to the complete package?
Truthfully? Yes, yes and thrice yes! Simple because I couldn’t bear to miss out on the love I receive on daily base from my beautiful family!
Wishing you a wonderful New Year filled with Love and Happiness!
What beautiful piece of art - and a beautiful, uplifting post to go with it! I love how Mary's head covering flows into the land itself. May health and happiness be yours this new year, my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank for your warm wishes Bev. I painted her like this because this way She is always and everywhere, just like a multifaceted Mother Goddess :)
DeleteHappy New Year! As always, your Mother Mary artwork is lovely. I think she's a wonderful person to be inspired by.
ReplyDeleteThanks WM and yes she keeps inspiring me, revealing more aspects of her each time I draw her.
DeleteEllen your work has such an elegance in it's simplicity. I just love this! The oil pastels lend themselves to the story you paint. A great medium for you!
ReplyDeleteIf we could see into the future we wouldn't be human eh? The beauty of our lives lies in the struggles of our humanity.
Thank you Catherine! I fully agree with you. life would get boring very soon without some challenges to overcome :)
DeleteHi Ellen. I've just found your blog (it was linked on another blog). Your artwork is stunning! I wish you a great 2016!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words and welcome to my blog!
DeleteWhen I look at this I feel a sense of calm and peace, very heart centred but reflective also about what she holds inside. So beautiful... Mary Did You Know is one of my favourite songs at Christmas - you captured it well. Wishing you and yours a Happy and blessed 2016!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Carol! Can you imagine that before this Christmas I had never heard this song before. It has really made a deep impact on me :)
DeleteOh, when I saw this on IG I didn't twig to the depth of meaning in the little cross in the background! Your post made me cry Ellen, so moving :)
ReplyDeleteWould I choose this life again, yes! Does that make it easier to bear, not always... I just found a site called Refuge in Grief, and think maybe I am finally ready to start dealing with my own pain and loss. Maybe that's why I, too, have been drawn to work with Mother Mary over the last few weeks...
Thank you for all that you share!
O my dear Chloe, now tears are flowing at both sides of the ocean. You comment touched me so deeply and I am honored to have made you realize this life is beautiful and precious with all it ups and down.
DeleteMy wish for you is that the coming year you will find healing and comfort in the embrace of Mother Mary who understands so well what you are dealing with.
Hugs
Thank you, Ellen <3
DeleteI shall add my gratitude and compliments to the comments. This is indeed a lovely prayer you've created on canvas, Ellen. I love the way the cross in the distance mirrors the tree in the foreground, one an echo of the Other held in the heart of the Mother.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Rose! The tree in the distance is not a cross yet but it shape gives away its purpose in the end
Delete"but its shape gives its purpose away in the end"...such poetry here and the deepest of teachings...the shape of our own hearts revealing our purpose long before we've completed it.
DeleteAnd without knowing it.... :)
DeleteExquisite. It is a powerful question: Would I do this again if I could choose to do something different? In a way we live this out through our entire lives. What if I had done this and not that? But then, our lives develop, we experience so many joys that would never have happened otherwise, and then the pains become less noticeable in retrospect. And I love how art surprises even the creators with these little gems, like your cross-tree :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Olivia!It seems we are on the same page again :D
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