by Liz Lemon Swindle

February 4-5, 2009

I didn’t write last night before I left, so I will do so now. It was a terrific day yesterday. I finished about 500 square inches of rock and shrubbery. I spent a bit of time in the beginning experimenting with technique on the stones but finally settled into my style. It makes sense to apply the stone with heavy paint and a spatula knife, but it’s to foreign to my style, so I went back to what I do best.

The neat thing about yesterday was a moment when I looked at Jesus’ face. Almost without exception I begin the painting with His face, but because I’m taking medication for my cold, I didn’t feel steady enough on the scaffolding to work on his face. Rather than lose time waiting until I did (days), I started on his sash, hands, robe and then yesterday, the stones, etc.

Anyway, I looked up at His face as I was working below and felt such a beautiful feeling of love and peace from Him. One of my friends had remarked that His face was so intense in this piece, almost to the point of uncomfortable to the viewer, but I didn’t feel that. I felt His love for me. What a choice moment and such motivation for my painting or what one would see as inconsequential or mundane. I felt from His gaze the importance of every stroke.

Today I am working on the right side of Jesus, again with the stone and plants. What a terrific day! Wow—another 500-600 square inches. I finished more than I planned and being gone tomorrow, the paint will dry and I’ll be able to really go at it on Friday.

The background is so Judea. I’ve walked those hills of Bethlehem and this feels just like you are there. Another thought came to me today and that was the terrain. I am painting what appears to be very treacherous and that is my intent. The Savior will walk through anything for us!



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