Out of Deep Waters

 

Out of Deep Waters
©2021 Ruth Borges 
16”x40”
Acrylic on canvas 

Wow, this painting morphed so many times! I was just about to walk away when I began to notice how the layers of deep blue and green had turned out so beautiful, so rich. I let the paint dry to see what these colors would actually look like. Acrylic paint dries darker, so it's best to wait and see how the shift in value might determine subsequent layers of color.

My husband, Jose, walked by the canvas and said "It looks like a marine scene." I thought the same. The tonal depth underscored the theme of deep waters. And that reminded me of Psalm 18:16 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of the deep waters." That verse brought back memories of God's faithful provision and protection during five months of intense uncertainty. During the 2020 Pandemic, Jose went through a life-threatening medical emergency. An uncontrollable bleeding episode turned so severe, he had to be sedated and intubated for two and a half days. Even after several surgeries, profuse bleeding episodes continued. There was no local medical specialist able to stop the bleeding. The thought of loosing Jose shook me to the core. Visitors were not allowed at the hospital due to the Pandemic. Leaning hard on God, reaching out to others for prayer support and counsel was all I could do at that moment. It turns out that was all I had to do. God had already lined up a highly trained doctor experienced in handling these medical situations. He had transferred him to California four months earlier to work at a hospital about forty-five minutes away from us. After three surgeries Jose never experienced a single uncontrollable episode to this day. 

Reflecting on that miracle gave me what I needed to complete the painting. I created a soft gradation of sky blue from the top to roughly a third of the way down the canvas, then let it dry. With a palette knife I created a textured cloud in white and light blue. I added some brushwork and mark making in the lower section of the canvas as a metaphor for God's arm reaching down to draw Jose out of the deep waters. I keep this painting in my living room to remind us of God's love, mercy, and faithfulness to protect and provide.