Art

My friend Johnni wrote this, and I thought you might enjoy it.

A Touch of Color

Have you ever arisen early in the morning, just to watch the sunrise, to see those vibrant yellow, orange, hot pink, blue, and purple colors almost screaming at you, “I’m here! Can you see me? Can you hear me?”

Or have you ever stayed up late, just to watch the sunset?

It is so amazing to watch and hear how the sun kisses the Earth right before she goes to sleep for the night. Just before she is almost gone, you can see these awesome bright yellow, dark orange, hot pink, midnight blue, and deep purple colors trailing to a deep, dark sleep.

Then, before you know it, the show starts up again … God willing, of course.

Unfortunately, there are days you miss seeing her rise. But on the way to work, taking the kids to dance classes, fighting traffic, or just picking up the paper from outside off the sidewalk, you look up, take a deep breath, and there she is again … just as big, bright and beautiful as she has always been.

She beams down at you,  then hides behind that little cumulus cloud, playing peekaboo with you. Before you know it, there she is again! This time, she is so bright that she looks like the whitest white that your brain could ever imagine. Her rays come down like arms from the heavens opening up, just to invite you in. Before you can barely take your next breath, she is gone again, hiding, to tease you, showing you how magnificent and wondrous she really is.

Have you ever wondered who made those magnificent colors that she possesses? And have you ever wondered how to take those colors and apply them to your life?

“What exactly does this mean?” you ask. Have you ever thought about painting, drawing, coloring, stippling, etching, stenciling … the list goes on and on? I know you might be thinking to yourself, “I can’t draw a straight line.” Well, that is the same old cliché people have been saying to themselves for years.

To be honest, anyone can draw. If you think about it, drawing is basically lines and circles that are combined with shading, here and there. When these lines and circles are your creation, however, you are taking all the gifts that God has given you, and putting them into color. The colors that He created.

Now the next question is - Are you up for the challenge? Have you ever wanted to learn how to draw, paint, or learn a new technique? Have you ever wanted to express yourself visually, in a positive way? To be able to show your opinions, values, morals, feelings, or just a release from it all?

It is amazing how color can make you feel a certain way, look a certain way, or even think a certain way. Just think about it - those feelings, the way you look at things, can be put into a palette of your emotions that others can see - your own artistic expression.

So many colors that are in this world are in the Bible. The meanings behind these colors are so amazing for what they represent and for who they represent. Take, for example, the color white. It describes glory, majesty, purity, victory, and completion. Black describes sorrow, calamity, Hell. Green describes spiritual privileges and spiritual life.

Red or crimson describes atonement, military might, persecution, drunkenness, sinfulness. Purple describes royalty, wealth and luxury. Blue describes heavenly character.

These are just a few colors in the spectrum of the rainbow, but considering Who created these colors, and what they describe - do you see how you can see them in a new light?

When you allow yourself to take the good and bad, and apply them to colors, then put them on canvas or paper, you create a masterpiece. It is a one-of-a-kind, original piece of art. It is yours.

Art can be like a form of therapy, or a prayer. Imagine that you have a bad day. You pick up your paints, brushes, put your canvas on your easel, and then …

You go to the beach. Not just any beach. No, you go where the sands are white, and seas are blue with just a tinge of green in the waves. The sun is orange, and the sky is a bright blue. A flock of brown pelicans fly by, and you see a huge red cigar boat out by the horizon.

Now you can take those colors, and put them on the canvas. Voila! There it is on the canvas. The very thing you imagined in your mind is right before your eyes. You did it! And your creation makes you feel good. That is what creation is all about.

I am so thankful for the colors that God created, for they can bring me up and out of any slump. For the most part, they bring me up where I belong with Him. It is an enjoyment to be able to watch Him work, and to appreciate His work. I am just thankful that I am His masterpiece, and through the gifts he has given me, I am able to share the creativity He has given me on canvas.

Take a moment this week to look at the sunrise, pick up a few colored pencils, and draw. Perhaps you, like me, will find the same touch of color through God’s glory.