Post 9 | Painting Project Experience

Our class time this past Thursday was dedicated to painting. Although we painted not simply for the expression of our artistic side, yet for the expression of our emotion toward a very powerful passage of the Bible called Joel. Honestly my initial thought when hearing our project briefing for Thursday was not one of excitement but one of apathy. I didn’t really understand how painting could be used as expression of feelings in literature. This misunderstanding simply goes to prove my next point that an exercise such as this is not explained but instead experienced. As seen in my painting below in my previous blog, a lifeless tree and a hot sun are depicted. This image came to my mind when reading of the explicit destruction Joel speaks of in the passage. By painting the image the impact of the nature God created being cursed to death became more impactful for me. It is one thing to read it, it is even one thing to read it slowly and with thought, although it is completely another thing to create and draw an interpretation of the words we read. This forces us to come to conclusion on our feelings of the scripture. The dead tree and scorching sun is what has been proclaimed over the Earth. When thinking about it that is an extremely powerful proclamation. The painting worked well in accordance with Joel to being such a powerful passage to life. The truth is that many times I read a powerful passage and likely neglect it simply because I don’t take the time to turn it into application. The painting project was not only beneficial but also eye opening. Almost like a dream where after you realize you had more imagination than you though you could even have, is how I feel after this painting experience.