FROM THE ARTIST | LAUREN WRIGHT PITTMAN
When I approached this piece, I read the first few verses of the
passage until a phrase stuck in my head, “like the crocus [the
desert] shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing”
(Is. 35:2). I thought I might paint a study of a crocus flower—one
zoomed in on the subtle shifts in shades of purple. However, when
I began to roll the phrase around in my mind, I felt the need to
paint the colors of the desert. The text says the desert blossoms
“like a crocus” not "with crocuses.” I almost missed the desert for
the flowers. For me, flowers are evident metaphors for joy and a
clear testament to God’s magnificence. After all, Emerson wrote,
“Earth laughs in flowers.”*
My initial instinct with this painting was
to transform the desert with flowers, but instead, I think I needed to
see the desert for what it is.
The desert is often associated with desolation, scarcity, and death,
but it’s really a place of surprising, subversive beauty—a place of
meeting the Divine. I found myself grabbing paints I don’t typically
use—mauves, ochres, pale greens, and dusty pinks. My painting
intuition doesn’t often lead me to desert colors because I’m drawn
to deeply saturated hues that I find more obviously beautiful. It
takes a bit more effort to see the desert as a place of abundance and
overflowing worship of our Creator, but I think this intentional shift
in seeing is part of what it means to prepare the way during Advent.
What would it look like to delight in elements of creation that you
often overlook? How can you help the parched places of your
corner of the world blossom into new life?
Prayer: Breathe deeply as you gaze upon the image below. Imagine
placing yourself in this scene. What do you see? How do you feel?
Get quiet and still, offering a silent or spoken prayer to God.
* Ralph Waldo Emerson, from the poem, "Hamatreya"
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