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.”

— Revelation 21:23

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. ”

— 1 John 1:5

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.””

— Revelation 21:3

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.