For The Beauty Of The Earth
For the Beauty of the Earth
by David Harvey
What scenes of natural beauty are currently inspiring you? Send a photograph that you have taken and share your favourite scene.
In this section parishioners share photography, paintings, and other creative media capturing the natural beauty of our world. As always, you are invited to submit material for inclusion in upcoming editions and, if you feel so moved, to share a reflection connected to the images.
The paintings this month are generously shared by Laura Bachynski. Laura was born in Windsor, Ontario and moved to Alberta in 1982 after graduation from the University of Windsor’s Art in Education Program. An artist and singer songwriter, the subject of Laura’s paintings include images of her travels around the world with her husband, Terry, intimate still lifes that remind us of the beauty found in the detail and intimate personal portraits that capture people experiencing simple moments of life when no one is looking.
”I started my painting journey when my arthritis ended my career as a professional actress and landed me in a wheelchair for many years until I received the gifts of new hips! I needed another creative outlet so I turned to painting.
I started off with watercolours and turned to painting with acrylic on canvas after receiving the Christmas present of local, Edmonton painting classes from my husband one year. (He is also a painter now and an excellent one at that!)
I love trying to capture the beauty of ‘God's paintbrush' with my own efforts employed with my earthly creative tools.
Autumn is my favourite time of year. Although Alberta has had historically short fall seasons there is just something about crunching through the fallen leaves, 'sweater weather', pumpkins, and the look of those fields of stubble and hay that bring me such joy.
I'm inspired by the brilliant yellows of the trees that are seemingly lit up with 10,000 dancing leaves, the hydrangeas waving hello with their 'pom pom' flowers, firey red vines clinging to ancient fences that I see as I walk through the neighbourhood; and, of course, the 'striped' fields on the outskirts of the city. Oh, and clouds. Oh those Alberta skies!
Who cannot imagine a master gardener when we look around us at the beauty of the earth? And just as we plant our own seeds into the soil and hope that they will reward us the following spring, when we plant our own lives in the healthy soil of God's perfect love, we can indeed be rewarded with lives that flourish under 'the Son' and shine for others with joy and love!
We all know life isn't perfect and there are too many seeds planted in bad soil. So let us sow seeds of goodness whenever we can and rise up to give others hope.
I try my best to share my talents and am blessed at this point in my life to be able to give 80% of my proceeds to charity. God is good!”
You can find more of my paintings at www.laurabachynski.com
I feel very honoured to have been asked to be featured in this section of their beautiful newsletter. Thank-you, David, for asking me to submit an article and painting for your readership/congregation.