Growth Through The Bitter to Sweet
This phrase from the song: “Bitter/Sweet” by Amanda Cook that goes: “You turn the bitter into Sweet” had been running through my head every time I thought about this painting, even before starting it.
Normally when I get a picture for a prophetic painting i sit with a cup of tea in a quiet place, soak up God’s love and then He usually speaks to me in pictures or words what to paint for the person. This time I felt the urge to go walk outside. i knew He would speak to me once i walked in nature, and sure enough He did.
The first thing i saw was the details on the trunk of this weathered tree. It was as if the tree had stretch marks from all the years of growing it did… all the repetitive lines criss crossing in different directions to mark the countless times the tree outgrew it’s bark and another layer of skin had been ripped open to make way for more growth. it was a beautiful image of the process of growth.
From my vantage {looking from the ground up} I could see the way the tree was twisting, spinning, reaching and almost breaching into the sky. It was reminiscent of a woman’s body who was determined to look/reach upward.
You could also see the sky above to which she was reaching and the sky seemed to epitomize the phrase: “you turn the bitter into sweet.” I saw half the sky was this winter heavy clouded dark sky that was being blown over by the other half which was this glorious peaceful “sun after the rain” pinky sunset hued sky.
The main theme that ran through this painting was the fact that both stretch marks and bark are symbols of growth… each have required painful stretching in order to make room for the new thing/gift/season/wisdom/