I'm always amazed when looking at the stars. I love viewing other photographers' Milky Way shots. I went on a night photography trip to shoot the Milky Way above Mount Fuji. While my photos were alright, they fell so short to the splendor of the night sky above me.

I shared a few of my night sky photos on my Facebook page, and shortly after doing so I was approached to do a painting commission based on the photo posted. A large painting. Well, pretty large for me. 24 x 36 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

As I began painting in the stars; little white dots of varying size, some with a tint of blue, some with a hint of red, I wondered if it was this easy for God to put the stars into the heavens. Did He place them there with His fingers? Pointing here and there, and they became. I was humbled at the vast comparison between my (re)creation and His. Everything I attempt to do, is in reaction, recreation to what He has already made perfectly. It's part of my adoration, praise, and grateful heart that I have this desire to copy what I see, in some creative way. I'm like a child sploshing paint onto a scrappy bit of paper while her Father paints a masterpiece. I want to copy my Father. I want to make Him proud.

My little 22 x 36 piece of canvas, compared to the huge skies and galaxies He 'painted' into being.

How great is our God, indeed and truly. Worthy of our praise and worship. So much so.

'He counts the stars

and calls them all by name.'

Psalm 147:4

I have enjoyed painting my version of the stars, in response to God's beautiful creation. I think a lot when I paint. Not just about what colors to mix, and how to increase the warmth here, but pull it back over there. Cover this up, and work into that. I normally listen to podcasts. But for this painting, I had only silence and my own thoughts. I have to conclude how grateful I am to each and every client of mine. I have so many ideas that I want to paint, I have to write them down and come back to them when I don't have too many commissions. (And that's not a bad thing at all!) But the joy of commissions is the journey I go on when creating. I would not have thought my thoughts, nor had such revelations if not for my clients. So thank you. Thank you for your ideas, for through problem-solving and troubleshooting, they challenge me mentally and creatively.

Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 40:26

And I made several different hues of very dark purple, without using black: Ivory, Lamp etc. In fact this is the most limited color palette I've used! Only Alizarin Crimson, French Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Zinc White. I always used to use Titanium White, exclusively. But since studying and being shown the differences in whites, I'm particularly fond of Zinc White: much more fluid! Who knew. Well, I do now.

Keep your star shining bright.

Many blessings,

Evelyn

#oilpainting #MountFuji #Japan #nightskies #stars #sky #trees #mountain #purple