Standing in the Gap

My journey with each of my paintings is a struggle, it does not come naturally.  I do not have the end result already completed in my head.  I have an idea of a image, a word, then I search for the particular image combining maybe 2 or 3 images.  Not like I have lions,elephants in my back yard.  As I work with acrylic trying colours, using different textures, I see where it takes me, sometimes surprises me and then I do not want to change that particular area, like it is almost done.  And then there are some areas, no matter how hard I try, I cannot make it work, the colours are wrong the go muddy and the pictures loose it vitality, its meaning.  Pretty much like life. There are some areas, no matter how hard you try you struggle with it, and only through divine intervention, through repentance and relying only on grace are you able to work passed it.  Acrylic is so workable, you are able to rub the paint off with water, or use white or grey and start again. This painted I gave to my pastor to hang in his office.

This painting is called "Standing in the Gap".  

This painting  is about the increase of poaching on  elephants and rhinos.  Just saw on facebook that someone posted 11 elephants slaughtered.

We must stand in the gap for these elephants and rhinos but our Saviour Jesus Christ  the Lion of Judah stood in the gap on the cross for all of us so that we may have eternity with the Father.

I painted over another painting so used its frame

My progress

Whilst painting this  I was watching my favourite animal channel and watched a awesome program about Elephants in Knysna (Elephant Knysna Park)  and the interaction with these tame animals.   They have created a free-range controlled environment, which means that the elephants get to walk and browse in the fields as they would do in the wild, however they do need handlers and guides with them constantly as they are living amongst and interacting with humans every day. Your experience of the elephants is therefore as natural as possible -  never ask elephants to perform tricks or behave in a manner that is not natural to them.   Here is an newsletter that better explains their methods.  http://www.knysnaelephantpark.co.za/newsletters.html

 Another program I watched was the Cheetah Outreach in the Cape.  I am so "chowing at the bit" to paint some cheetahs. http://www.cheetah.co.za/  They have a awesome motto "see it, sense it, save it", almost what we artist try and do.