Here's the finished painting, New Jerusalem,Coming Down Out of Heaven as a Bride. I just brought it home from an exhibit at Mint Hill Arts.
New Jerusalem, Coming Down Out of Heaven Like a Bride painting by Joan C. Thomson
The Colors of the“Bride’s” Dress
Close-up of colorful painting in progress New Jerusalem Coming Down from Heaven as a Bride Beautifully Dressed for Her Husband
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.””
Lots of colors of paint in the studio today—ultramarine blue, cobalt and brilliant blues, phthalo and Hookers’ green, cadmium yellow hue, and vat orange and naphthol red light, with a bit of gold. These correspond with the colors of the twelve foundations in the wall of New Jerusalem, as described by John in Revelation (last book in the Bible).
“The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.”
I researched the colors of the stones—both in the original Greek, and from gemstone sources and found that first century names for stones aren’t necessarily the same as ours today. “Sapphire” in those times was lapis lazuli, from which ultramarine paint is made. Jasper, according to Pliny the Elder, a first century historian, was green. This painting has lots of green!
New Jerusalem Coming Down from Heaven as a Bride Beautifully Dressed for Her Husband; in progress in my studio.
Drawing transferred, these colors and I made progress in my studio today. The “Bride” painting is coming together. The last layer of the dress will be gold, for the streets of gold—I’ve suggested it so that you can imagine it. The belt of blue is the beginning of a representation of the River of the Water of Life.
I feel that this is a special painting, and pray that it will speak to people of what is ahead, to give them hope. We don’t have to wait for it all—one day; we can have a taste of it here and now.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
The New Jerusalem as a Bride—Layers of Light
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ”
I’ve been steadily painting my latest New Jerusalem painting, a layer at a time. Behind and around, even emanating from, this simile of the New Jerusalem as a bride, I’ve painted six layers of yellow, white, and “fine gold,” depicting the light of God, which will fill every part of the Holy City. It will be (and is already) so full of God’s light that there will be no more need for the sun or moon. And there will be no night.
Next, I’ll transfer my large tracing paper drawing to the canvas. See you then.
The Light of God Part 3
“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”
The Light of God by Joan C. Thomson
In the Garden of Eden, plants of every kind flourished before the sun and the moon were created--in the light that emanated from God. As in the beginning, lovely and useful as they are, the sun and the moon will no longer be needed in the new heavens and new earth, because God will make his home there with his people. God is light. In him there is no darkness at all—no dark side or force, so there will always be light.
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ”
Detail of the Light of God by Joan C. Thomson
Here is the final layer, my finished painting of The Light of God. Close-ups show the iridescent white and glimmering gold brushstrokes, which can only be seen when the light shines on it from certain angles—outshining the dull grey, lightless sun and moon sinking off the canvas.
Iridescent detail of The Light of God by Joan C. Thomson
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.””
The Light of God Part 2
More layers of light! More layers to represent the many facets of light, but also because more layers give depth and keep the eye looking for longer. How to make another luminous layer, especially since I’ve chosen a limited palette of yellow, white, and gold for this painting? First, there is more than one colour of yellow and of white—even of gold, and tints of each (adding various amounts of white). Good. But this painting of God’s own glorious light needed more.
Acrylic paint on Mylar sheet awaiting transfer to a canvas
I studied printmaking in college; I’ve loved it since learning to make linocut prints in school when I was twelve. I enjoy combining art techniques, particularly adding printing to my collages and paintings. The idea for the next layer came in a flash; that Mylar wrapping (thin, transparent and flexible but still a bit stiff, plastic) that I had saved from one of my orchid plants would work to print a layer of paint. We artists think nearly everything will either help make art or be art! I cut a piece the size of the area I wanted the layer to cover and squirted yellow (cadmium hue) acrylic paint in a starburst pattern. It did look a bit like mustard.
Transferring acrylic paint from Mylar sheet to canvas
Fortunately, the paint is thick enough that I could reverse the Mylar without dripping. Using a favourite printmaking tool--a bamboo rice spoon, I rubbed the dry side of the reversed Mylar—transferring the paint to the canvas. Then I lifted it to see if the results were what I wanted. Definitely! However, the paint was too thick for the layer, so I had to carefully lift the excess with a brush and search for other paintings-in-process that could benefit from some cad yellow paint. No paint wasted!
The finished layer of “light”
More layers to come!
The Light of God
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it.
Revelation 21:22-24
The Light of God outshining the sun and moon.
When the New Jerusalem comes to the new earth, the sun, and the moon that reflects it will no longer be needed because the light of God—the light, which the earth basked in and the plants grew before the sun and moon were created, will be more than enough.
I’ve scumbled several layers of yellows tints in acrylic with a layer of titanium white on top, applied with a wide palette knife. The light colours burst forth from a centre point representing the throne of God—not the dull grey of the dead sun and moon.
More layers to come.