Pisgah Covered Bridge and Sanctification

Pisgah Covered Bridge

10x8 acrylic on masonite

June 3rd's paint out with Plein Air Carolina was held at Pisgah Covered Bridge in Randolph County, NC.

This was a challenging scene of which at several times during the painting, I thought maybe I bit off more than I could chew. After searching for the perfect set up spot, I finally found this angle in the middle of the creek. I set my tripod up on a big rock and commenced to paint. Wow, was there a lot of subject matter or what! It's so easy to get distracted by the details that you forget the big picture...this was my struggle here. I had to force myself not to spend too much time on the background foliage and not forget the foreground reflections.

This was one of those paintings that really stretch you as an artist...it may not seem so complicated while viewing the finished product, but I can assure you there was much struggle in getting there. You know, that kind of reminds me of our process of sanctification as believers. When you look at some of the older matured saints, we may have the tendency to view them as being pieces of God's artwork molded with tender grace and simplicity...their conforming to Christ's image was an overnight success!...while viewing ourselves (as works in progress) as receiving God's harsher treatments and having to endure things no-one else has endured. It's as if we say the previous saints had it so much easier and boy, do we have it tough. However, we must remember that we're viewing God's work (older saints) as nearly completed works. We don't get to see the process of struggle they had to endure to be conformed to the image of Christ. So, let's not despise God's processes of sanctification but embrace these struggles knowing that a piece that is struggled with, in the end, is highly favored.

Plein Air Carolina will have the opening reception of their "Glimpses of Carolina" plein air art show at Railwalk Gallery in Salisbury, NC, Saturday, June 11, 1-5 pm. The exhibit will run through June 30th. Everyone is invited to attend.