As we give ourselves to the process and freedom of creating whether it be art or writing, there is a sense of the unknown. What we are about to create has not yet emerged – only when we see it will we really know what it is.

As I paint onto the birch board, I gradually come to understand what direction I am to move toward. Layer upon layer gives depth and history to what I am producing. The initial picture looks very different to the end result.

I see this as the story of life. We begin our lives as tiny babies, grow through all sorts of stages, and end up looking very different! Yet that is also true of our inward being, our character and our ways of thinking. Circumstances can sand the ‘birch board’ of our lives, removing lumps, or stripping the colour from us. But then the next layer is painted, and we develop. And finally, a thin layer of gloss and a burnish with cold wax for longevity, protection and beauty, completes us. We are a special painting, signed by the Artist Creator Who loves us deeply. Except He is different – and sees the end from the beginning. What will emerge is already etched on the palms of His hands.

Painting: ‘A New Dawn in Pembrokeshire’ – 30x30cm birch cradle board, acrylic. SOLD 8th August 2023.

by Martina Davis

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Martina Davis