Heaven is the Face

16x20" Acrylic on Canvas

One of my childhood friends wrote me when she was 24 weeks pregnant with her little girl. (At the time of this posting she is very close to her due date and will be delivering in a couple of weeks!) She told me about how last year in February she had lost her son at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Her husband had taken the loss of the baby boy particularly hard. My friend told me how her husband heard the song 'Heaven is the Face' by Steven Curtis Chapman and it touched him deeply. If you have never heard the song just turn the radio on to K-Love (97.3 FM in KC) and you will eventually hear it. She asked me to paint a picture featuring the lyrics for her husband in memory of their little boy and in honor of their new baby girl. A beautiful combination, if you ask me. Here is the song in it's fullness:

Steven Curtis Chapman's "Heaven is the Face"

Heaven is the Face

Heaven is the face of a little girl

With dark brown eyes

That disappear when she smiles

Heaven is the place

Where she calls my name

Says, "Daddy please come play with me for awhile"

God, I know, it's all of this and so much more

But God, You know, that this is what I'm aching for

God, you know, I just can't see beyond the door

So right now

Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep

Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing

And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms

Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams

(If you did not know the songwriter lost his daughter in an accident.) Needless to say, the whole time I painted I was on the verge of tears! For some reason, I have ended up doing several custom art projects for similar occasions. For instance, my last painting was a watercolor illustration as a gift for a little blond-haired, blue-eyed baby girl who was undergoing chemotherapy and last summer I painted a memorial for a little boy who drowned at the age of 2. I don't know why I have been chosen for these things, but I see it as an opportunity to bring healing in a special way through something beautiful. Anyway, back to the present...

My friend also asked me to include a tree in the background. She said when they were ready to let go, they planned to place their sweet son's ashes with a tree so that he is forever growing. The tree became significant to her because her husband gave her a silver ring with a whimsical tree on it.

She mailed me the ring and a fabric sample matching her new baby's nursery and I got to work. At the time I had a waiting list of about 5 projects to do. One of them was for another baby of a friend in which the request was to include a stuffed lamb. Many times I work simultaneously on several projects. I started on the lamb painting first. After I finished the lamb I looked over my order forms to see which project I would start next while it dried. Immediately, I saw the fabric sample and tree from the first project and I was amazed at the color tones: the lamb painting matched the fabric perfectly. I switched projects. The lamb was an 'accident', not meant to be featured in the first friend's painting. But I added the tree, the lyrics and even used the print of the fabric sample as the pattern in the green hills. It turned out to be a really thoughtful and special piece for me to create. The brown eyes in the lamb were childlike and full of peace... and heaven is a place with no more tears - only complete healing and fulness of Life!

This is the letter I received after I mailed it:

It arrived today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GRAVY!!!!!! Beth, I couldn't wait to give it to him so I ran out and got a frame this afternoon and I just got done showing it to him.

He is a tough guy and this knocked him off his feet! Overwhelmed with emotion doesn't even begin to describe his reaction. I didn't have to explain anything (he recognized the tree right away!) and the lamb in the picture is even more touching than you could have realized....he carried a tiny lamb around when he was a little guy and it now sits on a shelf in our baby girl's room!!!! Unbelievable!! (And LOTS of tears!)

I wish I knew how to thank you properly!!! I'm so humbled by your talent!!!!! When we get it hanging, I'll take a picture so you can see how well it fits! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!

Signed,

ALicia

A special thanks to Alicia for letting me work on this project for you. Your grace has touched me. You are a sensitive and thoughtful wife. AS I am sure your husband Brian would agree! I am honored to have been able to dedicate this painting to your little Liam. May God bless your family and give you many opportunities to share your story for continued healing and restoration.

Live Painting # 2 at WFC

It has been a couple of weeks since I finished my second live painting at Westside Church. It was July 25, 2010. All proceeds from the auction (I did not get a grand total but I am guessing around $2000) went to an inner city mission organization in KCK.

I didn't get many pictures of this one but the ones I did get were of the paintings I did back stage - something that I overlooked last time. I painted these paintings all in a row: 1 hour for each of them. I chose to do different colors because I really don't enjoy doing something so repetitive as painting the exact same thing all day long.

I searched long and hard for an image I felt would match the topic of Jesus the Teacher. I chose this photo to work from because I wanted to represent the relationship between Jesus and His closest disciples Peter, James and John - who were fishermen by trade.

Matthew 4:18-20 (New International Version)

The Calling of the First Disciples

¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.

A lot of preparation went in to doing this. It may look simple but the practice was a full time job! A lot of sketching, trial and error... I am just glad to have accomplished it for the second time in the same month. Pretty much my entire summer went to getting ready for these projects.

I had a lot of hours poured in to planning how to start this 3'x4' creation from a blank canvas. I decided to start out painting the background for the first 30 minutes and then I switched it out with a pre-painted background so that I could work with a dry surface. Then I used the rest of the next half hour filling in the silhouettes and details. I repeated this process using the painted background I had finished in the previous service for the rest of the day.

The result was an image that is very relaxing to look at. I like to imagine that Jesus jumped right in to life with these guys and offered a helping hand. Even after they were called to follow Him the Bible tells of times where they experienced Jesus' miracles on the water... walking on the water, casting their nets and getting so many fish they didn't know what to do, campfires on the beach... I think that the real learning goes on when you experience life with someone who is teaching you through practical ways. I hope to share what I do with others so that the time I spend with people makes an impact for eternity and not only for a fleeting moment.

Jesus set the best example of that when he took these men who the world thought to be mediocre blue collar workers and used them to change the world!

That reminds me of an awesome quote from a song by Matt Maher:

"I met a man who walked on water, who wore his crown like a blue collar..."

3'x4' Acrylic on Canvas

Jesus and the Fishers of Men

$300

If you are interested in owning this piece of hand-painted art, please contact me

(either through the contact tab at the top of the page or Facebook).

I have one painting left to sell!