The flowers of Emil Nolde are favorites of mine. This German artist lived from 1867 to1956 and painted with oil and watercolor in the Expressionist style. He was influenced by Vincent van Gogh and shared his fascination with flowers. Color was another of his fascinations, as shown in this piece with tints and shades of the primaries, red, yellow and blue. If you have ever tried to paint with watercolors, you can appreciate his control of this fluid medium.

This painting required much time focused on a beautiful arrangement of very few flowers. This artist seems to notice every morsel of these, even down to the blue green and yellow green stems. In this flower season, have you made the time to do the same? Have you breathed in to the artistry of our Creator in for a minute or two or many more?

This pause, this sabbath, seems the call of Red and Yellow Poppies with a Blue Delphinium, as even reading the title takes more time than most. It seems to call us to not only stop and smell the roses but to carefully take them in visually. These artistic moments are open to everyone and help all of us find gravity again in these unpredictable times. Beauty is God’s gift to us. Art in all forms across time and space and types can truly be a salvation found in focus.

God is the inspiration of all creativity and bidden or not bidden is present. May we notice and give thanks. Amen.

In gratitude, faith and hope,