Welcome to Sophie's Nature Art!

Hello everyone!

I'm pleased to be able to tell you about my latest picture and the story behind it today!
As I write these lines, the wind is shaking our house and you can clearly hear it whistling. It's the perfect mood for today's post!

How did I get the idea for the picture?
As I was scrolling through the pictures on Instagram one fine day, enjoying beautiful sailing ships among other things, quotes from Christian authors kept popping up in my feed. On this particular day, a quote from my favorite author Ellen G. White appeared. It read as follows:

Here you can see a lettering that I made after finishing the large picture to capture this quote for myself once again.

This quote really appealed to me. Why?
Because I love lighthouses, the sea and sailing ships. But I also love my Savior Jesus Christ because he is the most fascinating being in the universe. My greatest joy is to work for him and to pass on the hope I have found in him to others. The whole thing wrapped up in a quote was, of course, a real find for me!

I immediately had a picture in my mind's eye and knew: this will be my new acrylic painting!
It didn't take long before my sketchpad was on the desk and I started scribbling.

Here is the result:

Two photos that I took myself served as references for the lighthouse and the sailing ship.
The lighthouse is somewhere in the Mediterranean. I photographed it last year when I was traveling with the Atlantis was on the road.

The photo of the ship was from my first sailing trip on the Roald Amundsen In 2021, I was allowed to sail around the ship in a dinghy and take photos. These are very valuable photos for me today, just like for such projects. 

The sketch was done quickly. As I sometimes do, I posted it in my WhatsApp status. The first person to see it was my cousin. He immediately wrote to me that he wanted the picture. That surprised me. He didn't even know what the finished picture would look like and yet he wanted to buy it. Apparently he had confidence in my artistic abilities.

That was of course a motivational boost for me. The picture was finished faster than usual. 

The most challenging aspect of this picture for me was the clouds. I wanted to create a stormy to thundery atmosphere. That took me a long time because I was never satisfied with the clouds. The water took the second longest. I'm still struggling with that. But this time I didn't stick to a template as much as I tried to paint the whole thing a bit more freely. 
The lighthouse went quite well. The biggest challenge is to make the tower grow straight and evenly in height. In this picture, I tried to work quite accurately and I'm quite happy with the result.
What then happened surprisingly quickly was the sailing ship. It was conjured up on the screen in no time at all. However, there were a few small mistakes that I would like to leave unmentioned here... 🙂
Unfortunately, what I didn't manage to do so well is the heeling (leaning) of the ship. It should be a little more to starboard (right) to emphasize the effect of the storm a little more.

Here is the final result. Acrylic on a 40x50cm canvas:

I fell in love with this motif and found it difficult to part with it. But I'm glad that it has found a new home.

I like the motif of the lighthouse so much because it can send various signals to the sailor. It helps with navigation. Especially in the good old days when there was no radar, they were essential for survival. Without lighthouses, ships would hit the rocks on a dark night or in poor visibility and be shipwrecked. I also love this metaphor when applied to the spiritual life. Many people today are shipwrecked in this world and wrecked on the cliffs of life. The world is full of failed relationships, burnt out and hopeless people. Things are getting worse and worse. But why is that? 

Could it be that our society has lost its lighthouse? There is no longer anything to guide and direct us. Absolute truth is not welcome today. Everyone has to make something up for themselves. I am so glad that I have found a firm anchor in Jesus. In these troubled times, he gives me stability and security. Like a lighthouse, the Bible gives sailors (= believers) clues as to where they need to navigate in order to reach the harbor safely.

But the quote also mentions another reason why many people are shipwrecked today: 

Everyone who believes in Christ as the light of the world should be a lighthouse on a dangerous coast to warn souls so that they do not suffer shipwreck in their faith.

When souls are shattered on the cliffs of unbelief, it is because Christians do not let their light shine. We often hide our faith to avoid offending others or because it is no longer politically correct. But in such a troubled society, where there are no longer any constants, we need courageous Christians who have experienced Jesus in their lives and who shine. It must be evident in their lives that they have had fellowship with the light of the world. Many Christians today no longer live what they profess. Other people are desperately searching the horizon to see if they can recognize a light somewhere that will help them reach the land safely. 

Jesus therefore calls on every professing Christian:

The darker the times become, the brighter the light will shine. Even if our light is only small, even a small light is a great help on a dark night.
The more we pass on the light we have received from God, the more light we receive and the brighter we shine.

I hope that every reader will also find support in Jesus in these turbulent times. We are only at the beginning. The real storm is yet to come. Let's use the time wisely now!

If you want to know how to get through the storm safely, watch one or both of these short videos (I thought they were both good and couldn't decide):

With God into an (un)secure future!

Safely through the storm

I wish you all a safe journey through these stormy times and a safe arrival in the harbor of God's peace!

See you next time!