Painting Light

Often people ask me how I paint light so that it looks like it’s really glowing. I’m happy to share it with you! First, I withhold white from the rest of the painting—I don’t mix any of the other colors with it. That way, when I use white and a dot of bright yellow to paint a firefly or glowing lamp, the brilliance stands out from the background so much that it appears to glow. But there’s something else I do that’s also really important in capturing that glow.

I make sure to add a bit of that bright yellow paint mixed with white onto everything the light source is shining on. Because that’s how light works. If there’s a lamp on, then its light will be reflected onto the pages of the book beneath it or the curtain beside it. When you see that splash of light in a painting, it feels as if the light is really glowing!

I was talking to my husband about this as we walked our dogs up the street one evening last week and it hit me that there’s spiritual truth here too. 1 John 1:5 says, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” God is the ultimate light source and when I dwell on His words and spend time in His presence, His light shows up in my life. Because light does that.

As US Election Day comes near I see lots of division. And that makes sense because people’s differences are especially apparent in any election. But I’ve been thinking about how there is no division in God. He is Light. He is Love. And if I’m dwelling on Him, it will show up in how I treat other people, in how I speak about them, how I care for their needs, and how I listen to them.

Often I think about how, if I’m drawing my security from God, then I’m less likely to be deeply bothered if I’m misunderstood by someone else. This is a convicting thought since at times I have been deeply bothered when I’ve felt misunderstood! Just a reminder that I need to step further into the light!

Blessings to you as you seek to live in His light,

~Amy