Work in Progress

Refining Heart: Work in Progress

"Work in Progress" Christine Nichols, 2012

This art project turned out to be a week-long lesson about my heart and motives. To begin, the chosen canvas is significant because it was a commissioned painting that I couldn't complete. I was soooooo stuck for nearly a year as the unfinished painting mocked me with failure and guilt. The 2’x 4' canvas had a multi-colored background and a contemporary design of a person praising God with arms raised. It sort of looked like two parenthesizes inverted: ) (  My oldest son said it looked like the stitching on a baseball to him. 
The new painting began with a charcoal briquette symbolizing a lump of coal. I drew a large heart in the center of the praise design, then scribbled and scratched markings within the heart. This represented sin. While doing this, jealousy was revealed. Emerald green flashed in my mind, with the cliché phrase "green-eyed monster", but I was surprised that the Holy Spirit chose a drab, dull green to cover the drawn heart. The world sees jealousy as a strong emotion, full of passion like a sparkling emerald. Our society even describes it as a crime of passion when a jealous rage turns deadly, but the Lord viewed the motive of jealousy within my heart as drab and lifeless. Green is usually associated with newness and life in Scripture but in this instance, it had the opposite meaning.
The drab green heart was expanded by rings of blue, purple, fuchsia, and white. The Holy Spirit gave a cross-section view of my heart like the growth rings of a tree. The outer layers of my heart resonates hues of Christ, His Kingship, and holiness. In an online Christian art class that I took, the instruction taught us to cover the negative with beauty. The Holy Spirit lead me to cover the green heart of jealousy to a heart of gold with a smaller lavender heart within. The small heart looked like it was ready to take flight like a butterfly!

Next came a multitude of circles painted with crumpled-up plastic wrap dabbed in paint. The motion was a swift turn of my wrist like the movement of turning a key in a lock. After multiple layers of hues were applied to the circles they reminded me of blue roses with golden highlights. The Lord then spoke within my heart about a law of His creation: (A plant) "blooms before it sets fruit."  As I continued with the painting this week, He reaffirmed the word given by saying, "Go forward. Fruit forthcoming." 
To be honest, I was dissatisfied with the large heart in the center. It seemed out of proportion and looked like a kindergartener had painted it, so I added more "circle roses" to the outer heart rings to make them fade into the background and highlight the smaller heart of gold. But that didn't seem right either, so I added more roses across the gold heart and it nearly disappeared! I knew I had messed up big time by taking things into my own hands. I hadn't waited on the Lord for the Holy Spirit's guidance to continue painting. I was more concerned about the outward appearance of the painting and good reviews (acceptance) from family and friends rather than God's message within the painting. My eyes were solely on myself instead of Christ. I repented, asked for forgiveness, and sought the Lord's redemption, literally. I asked Him specifically to fix the painting and without hesitation, He gave the solution along with a test of faith. I was to mix fuchsia with hues of gold and apply it over the heart, covering the roses. The color mixture turned coppery-bronze. Then the Lord said to use a toothbrush to scrub the gold mixture into the heart. I obeyed and the heart looked an absolute mess! It was a vivid demonstration of what happens to my heart when I seek glory for myself instead of seeking to glorify God.

Next came the leap of faith. The Lord said to take the plastic bag covering the paint palette, turn it inside out and place it over the heart. The plastic bag had some wet silver paint on it.  I admit, I wondered if I had heard right or not, because it sounded so unconventional to me, but I obeyed and the result was a heart of mixed metals: Copper, bronze, silver and gold. It was then that the Lord said, "Refining heart. Work in progress." 

 

"Refining Heart: Work in Progress" Christine Nichols, 2012

 Original 2' x 4' acrylic painting. June 2012

The Lord said during the painting process:

"Blooms before setting fruit. Go forward. Fruit forthcoming. Refining heart. Work in progress."

 

By the way, the commissioned piece I mentioned in the beginning of this blog was finished after this painting. It turned out to be a set of three canvases with a message of being "Sent with His Scent" for a friend as she about to embark on a new life in the missionary field. What's cool is that the art was small enough to pack and take with her to Haiti. God knows exactly what we need when we need it! There is none like Him!! 

*******

All my paintings begin with prayer. I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance from beginning to end (from choosing the canvas and paint colors to the last brush stroke), that the Lord's message would go forth through the art, and that Father God would be glorified. I believe all prophetic art has a message, but what the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a specific piece of art, may be different than what the Spirit says to you. Seek Him for a personal interpretation.

>>>ART PRINTS NOW AVAILABLE!<<<

Find more Contemporary Christian Art 

on my website, Christine Nichols Fine Art.  

Look me up on Facebook and like the page 

if you have been blessed by the art. 

May the Lord be glorified and may the art speak to your heart!

Thanks for reading this blog. 

Feel welcome to comment below.

Blessings,

Christine

Wave of Glory!

Christine Nichols, 2012

This abstract was painted in March 2012 at First Love's Art Workshop in LeSueur Minnesota. All my paintings begin with prayer. I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance from beginning to end (from choosing the canvas and paint colors to the last brush stroke), that the Lord's message would go forth through the art, and that Father God would be glorified. 

I believe all prophetic art has a message, but what the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a specific piece of art, may be different than what the Spirit says to you. Seek Him for a personal interpretation.

The Lord has given a few abstracts that can be displayed in multiple ways. Here's individual views, which I think, changes the feel of the painting. When hung horizontally, it reminds me of the curvature of the earth, God's glory, and the heavenlies.

Original Acrylic Abstract, 2012 - Christine Nichols

While a vertical view reminds me of a surfer riding a huge wave. It gives one pause to realize the raw strength and beauty of God's creation, but none stronger than the Creator, Himself. He in control. He reigns Sovereign over ALL!

A number of titles have been suggested for this painting such as Illumination, King of the Universe, and Sea Wave. My working title is "Mystery." I love a good mystery and this painting still intrigues me. 

One of my favorite passages of Scripture reveals a mystery! Paul writes, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”^{[Isaiah 25:8]}

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”^{[Hosea 13:14]}

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Wave of Glory - Christine Nichols, 2012

Find more Contemporary Christian Art on my website, Christine Nichols Fine Art.  Look me up on Facebook and like the page if you have been blessed by the art. 

^>^>^>ART PRINTS NOW AVAILABLE!<^<^<^

Wave of Glory - Vertical ^

Wave of Glory - Horizontal >

May the Lord be glorified and may the art speak to your heart!

Thanks for reading this blog. 

Feel welcome to comment below.

Blessings,

Christine

Untitled Abstact II

You Name It

Christine Nichols

I asked a Facebook group of Christian Prophetic Artists what the Holy Spirit spoke to them about this painting. The comments were many and greatly varied but three themes stood out: 

• The Lord's presence
• Worship
• Washing/Cleansing

I can see all three, but it mainly looks like a small snapshot of continuous praise to me as if the entire painting is too expansive to capture on earth and it goes on perpetually in breadth and length, depth and height, just as Christ's love for us is described in Ephesians 3. Perhaps the reason I perceive this piece in such a way is because found this gem as a photograph of the creative process, but I fully feel it is a piece of art on it's own merit.

 

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

Untitled Abstract II, Christine Nichols, 2009

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

Psalm 34:1-3 

 

I was told by a few artists that the painting reminded them of the song, 
"Wash Over Me" by Jami Smith.

 
Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

Psalm 42:7

My Painting Technique

All my paintings begin with prayer. I ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance from beginning to end (from choosing the canvas and paint colors to the last brush stroke), that the Lord's message would go forth through the art, and that Father God would be glorified. 
I believe all prophetic art has a message, but what the Holy Spirit speaks to me about a specific piece of art, may be different than what the Spirit says to you. Seek Him for a personal interpretation.
You can find more Christian Abstract paintings that the Lord has given me on my Facebook page, Christine Nichols-Art, in a Photo Album called "FOR HIS GLORY" 

 

Ultimate Sacrifice

The Ultimate Sacrifice 

The Ultimate Sacrifice is a series of two images taken from one painting entitled, Believe.  

Believe - Christine Nichols, 2009

12x12 Canvas, Acrylic

I began painting the 12x12 canvas in a church I was attending in 2009. The Holy Spirit choose the hues of sky blue with wisps of white and and dabs of red and directed the movement of the paintbrush as such. At one point, I was told by the Spirit to paint the number seven (7) on the canvas. The pastor of the church walked by and saw the seven in the middle of canvas. We talked about how seven represents perfection in the Bible. A short time later, the Holy Spirit told me to place a paper towel layer over the wet canvas. I obeyed and lightly patted the paper towels like a mother gently comforting her infant child. Carefully lifting up the paper towel, I laid it down to dry and stared at the image that had been lifted up from the canvas. 

Ultimate Sacrifice Series - Christine Nichols, 2009

The pastor walked by again and I asked him what he saw. He said, "Christ being taken down off the cross." I needed the confirmation because I had NOT painted an image of Christ or a cross. Just the number seven. I knew that a miracle had taken place. I was a bit shaken, but the Lord wasn't done yet. He compelled me to continue painting. Again, I obeyed and began painting as the Spirit lead, adding layers of paint and movement. Eventually, the movement turned into swirls of paint like a red ribbon weaving across and down the canvas. For the second time, the Lord told me to place a layer of paper towels over the wet canvas. I wondered what would happen this time as I followed His instructions. 

Ultimate Sacrifice Series - Christine Nichols, 2009

Lifting up the paper towel, I saw three separate images - again, none that I had painted. The top image represents the Lord's body as if it was tightly wrapped and laying on a slab in a tomb. If you look closely, you will even see the imprint of eyes, nose and a mouth. The middle image is Christ sitting up in the tomb. The third is a pile of His burial cloths and He is gone! The resurrection of Jesus Christ!! 

I would never presume to paint such a scene of Christ being taken down from the cross or of His blessed resurrection. I consider both "lifted up" images to be miracles. There is no other explanation. 

Succession of images taken from the painting, Believe. It wasn't until I bought the images and canvas home that the Lord instructed me to paint the word, "Believe"in gold on the canvas and gave me the Scripture verse, Romans 10:9. "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."