Lovely contradiction

This piece was a lot of fun to do. This is my first ever rendering in acrylic, done for my rendering art class. It’s painted on 1/4 inch birch wood. The light bulb is approximately 11 inches long. The reference for this painting was this photo that I took:


During the 24 hours it took to paint this (not consecutive hours, it was 24 hours over 2 months) I had a lot of time to think. Though this painting is what it is, it reminds me of some truths that I hold dear:

The first recorded words that God spoke were “Let there be light”. The Bible also says “Let your light so shine that people may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Christians are called to be light in the darkness. We should be like those first followers of Jesus that “turned the world upside down”. The upside down symmetry in this painting reminds me that the Christian faith is full of what would seem to be contradictions. Light in the darkness, die to live, the last will be first, let go to get a better grip, loose something to find it, etc. They seem to be opposite, yet they work together beautifully. The Kingdom of God consists of these things. This painting is a tribute to the "Kingdom in Reverse" so to speak.

Thanks for viewing.