Tag Archives: Easter

Painting Diary

When artists paint a diary of their lives, their work may be recognized globally, regionally, or locally. “Flag at Tybee Island” is a famous icon, as it is displayed on the only road to or from Tybee Island, Georgia. Tybee’s beaches attract tourists worldwide, and because the Internet brings every corner of the globe to the far reaches of the Earth, one doesn’t need to visit a place to be familiar with it.

This particular icon was also given international publicity. The flag was featured in major media after police officers rescued it from flood waters after a hurricane. That news story was then distributed widely online. So, while I painted this scene because it is my personal happy milestone telling me and my family that we are nearing our favorite weekend place, it is globally identifiable. When I posted this art online with no description, someone recognized it immediately as the flag from the Tybee Island roadside. What may be a personal “diary share” in the artist’s mind, may be globally recognized.

When paintings depict objects, people, or events that aren’t globally recognized, they may still be regionally identifiable. “Floral Cross” was inspired by a table display I admired on Easter morning at a new church I was attending. Each guest was invited to place real cut flowers into the cross display. I’d never experienced this beautiful Easter service ritual before, but the same experience was shared by all who attended that service, and was likely heard of throughout the region.

Even the things we see in our own backyards may be recognized, at least locally. I enjoy this little guy who comes to our patio hummingbird feeder often. He seems like “our” tiny wild pet, but he is of course an ordinary common bird belonging to nature. “My” backyard birds are all over the neighborhood, and little birds identical to him are local visitors to everyone in the surrounding area at the same time, as we share the same seasons, specific environmental conditions, and localized weather impacts.

When artists paint the things that they see in their daily lives as a shared diary of sorts, their work may be relatable on a global, regional, or local scale. However, spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally, any shared art can still be relatable, even if the viewer doesn’t recognize or connect with the painting through personal experience or prior knowledge. The beauty of sharing our personal lives with others is that we often find that other people have experienced similar joys, sorrows, and the full range of emotions that make us human. When we share our humanity, we are never alone.

“Cross and Lily”

2 Minute Time Lapse – Watch Natalie paint this art from start to finish

This type of flower is known as “resurrection lily”, Lycoris squamigera. Excerpt from book “50 Oil Paintings Inspired by my Christian Faith”:

Redemption is beautiful.
No man can condemn us,
when we have been freed by mercy.
Never take on shame that doesn't belong to you.
Leave your burdens at the cross.
Be free. Be happy. Be loved.

Easter is a time to rejoice, but every day is a good day to be thankful for deliverance, mercy, and grace. Inner peace begins with knowing that we are forgiven and loved by God. When we are no longer slaves, we experience true joy.

Oil painting “Cross and Lily” by artist Natalie Buske Thomas

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“Celtic Cross”

“There’s a big Irish community in Savannah, as many Irish immigrants settled here. Savannah has one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day parades in the world, second only to New York City. I attended a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Cork, and it was ironically much smaller than the parade here! Savannah also holds an annual Irish festival and has a strong Irish dancing and music community.

The Celtic Cross that this painting was inspired by is in Emmet Park. It was handcarved in Ireland, and presented as a gift to the Irish of Savannah. According to Visit Historic Savannah:

‘Dedicated in December, 1983, the Celtic Cross of Irish limestone from the County of Roscommon, in West Ireland, honors Savannahians of Irish descent, a reminder that their history was one of religion as much as it was about ‘hard work, suffering and endurance.’ The monument faces Bay Street, and every year a wreath is laid at its pedestal, right before St. Patrick’s Day.'”

Celtic Cross oil painting by Natalie Buske Thomas

“Lenten Flower”

Watch Natalie paint this art, and all 50 oil paintings in this collection (menu below)

“Lent is about giving something up, and adding something new. I mentioned earlier about learning something new, during our Easter experiences at our new Southern church, and it’s all about ‘new’. I’d been focused on Lent being about the past- repenting, letting go, pledging to change. What I hadn’t spent much thought on is that when we let go of something it makes room for something new. Repentance is also about forgiveness. Letting go is about mercy. Forgiveness and mercy frees us.

What a loving God we have, who wants us to be free! The depressing and sometimes challenging process of examining our lives and deciding what we need to change is only the beginning of the journey. We do this to prepare the way for something better, something new. It may require a leap of faith, and the journey is bittersweet, but the destination is beautiful.

I painted this in a style similar to ‘Pink Flower’, except this time my process was deliberate. I liked the layering-background technique I created almost by accident with Pink Flower, and now it is one of my signatures. I paint colorful shapes around my main subject, that I then paint over while the oils are still wet. The flower stays in sharp focus, while the background is soft, yet luminous. ‘Lenten Flower’ is one of my favorite paintings. I’d like to do more work like this.”

Lenten Flower oil painting by Natalie Buske Thomas

List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:

  1. City of Savannah
    1.1 “City of Savannah” page 6-7
    1.2 “Natalie at the Fountain” page 8-11
    1.3 “House in Savannah” page 12-13
    1.4 “Guardian Lion” page 14-15
    1.5 “Autumn Angel” page 16-17
    1.6 “Steamship Savannah” page 18-19
    1.7 “Boiled Peanuts for Sale” page 20-21
    1.8 “Bulldog” page 22-23
    1.9 “Serenity Piano” page 24-25
    1.10 “Painting Colors” page 26-27
  2. Tybee Island
    2.1 “I Love Life” page 30-31
    2.2 “Living Sand Dollar” page 32-33
    2.3 “Matthew the Sea Turtle” page 34-35
    2.4 “Fungie the Dolphin” page36-37
    2.5 “Angel Releasing Dove” page 38-39
    2.6 “Flag on Tybee Island” page 40-41
    2.7 “My Kids at the Beach” page 42-43
    2.8 “Lighthouse near Tybee Island” page 44-45
  3. Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians
    3.1 “Gator and Snake” page 48-49
    3.2 “Tree Frog” page 50-51
    3.3 “Lizard” page 52-53
    3.4 “Blue Heron” page 54-55
    3.5 “Hummingbird” page 56-57
    3.6 “Painted Bunting” page 58-59
  4. Flowers and Trees
    4.1 “Pink Flower” page 62-63
    4.2 “Porch Flowers” page 64-65
    4.3 “Clover” page 66-67
    4.4 “Butterfly Tree Flowers” page 68-69
    4.5 “Savannah Tree” page 70-71
    4.6 “Dancer in a Floral Forest” page 72-73
    4.7 “Come to the Garden” page 74-77
    4.8 “Cherokee Rose” page 78-79
  5. Faith and Food
    5.1 “Floral Cross” page 82-83
    5.2 “Lenten Flower” page 84-85
    5.3 “Celtic Cross” page 86-87
    5.4 “Mary of God’s Favor” page 88-89
    5.5 “Lion and the Lamb” page 90-91
    5.6 “Breakfast with Friends” page 92-93
    5.7 “Peaches in a Bowl” page 94-95
    5.8 “Peach Cookies” page 96-97
    5.9 “Peach Pie” page 98-99
  6. Seasons and Weather
    6.1 “Pumpkins and Mums” page 102-103
    6.2 “Autumn Cottage” page 104-105
    6.3 “Spring Lambs” page 106-107
    6.4 “Peach Tree Hurricane” page 108-109
    6.5 “Eye of the Storm” page 110-111
    6.6 “God’s Promise” page 112-113
    6.7 “We Gather Together” page 114-115
    6.8 “Savannah Snow” page 116-117
    6.9 “I Believe in Santa” page 118-119

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“Floral Cross”

Watch Natalie paint this art, and all 50 oil paintings in this collection (menu below)

“I’ve moved around a lot. My dad was in the Air Force, and my husband was in the Army. After his service, we continued to relocate for jobs. One of the challenges for settling in, is finding our place in our new community. I’ve attended many churches, of various styles, denominations, sizes, and cultures. It’s always a bit intimidating to join in, but I appreciate when our family is welcomed.

My experience with church in the Savannah area was this: we went the first time, and were so warmly received that we stayed. We now sing on the choir, and look forward to sharing family traditions with fellow Georgians.

One of the most significant events in a Christian church is celebrating the risen Christ during the Lenten season and into Easter. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was stunned to see a cross displayed on the foyer table- filling quickly with cut flowers. We were invited to take a flower, and add the stem to the cross. The assorted buds and blooms were strikingly beautiful, but it was more than that. It was life. He is Risen, Indeed. I didn’t know I’d feel something new and different, after all of these years of ‘seeing it all’ before, but this little church taught me something profoundly new.”

Floral Cross oil painting by Natalie Buske Thomas

List of Oil Paintings in this Collection, linking to their pages here on the site, and also citing physical pages in the hardcover book:

  1. City of Savannah
    1.1 “City of Savannah” page 6-7
    1.2 “Natalie at the Fountain” page 8-11
    1.3 “House in Savannah” page 12-13
    1.4 “Guardian Lion” page 14-15
    1.5 “Autumn Angel” page 16-17
    1.6 “Steamship Savannah” page 18-19
    1.7 “Boiled Peanuts for Sale” page 20-21
    1.8 “Bulldog” page 22-23
    1.9 “Serenity Piano” page 24-25
    1.10 “Painting Colors” page 26-27
  2. Tybee Island
    2.1 “I Love Life” page 30-31
    2.2 “Living Sand Dollar” page 32-33
    2.3 “Matthew the Sea Turtle” page 34-35
    2.4 “Fungie the Dolphin” page36-37
    2.5 “Angel Releasing Dove” page 38-39
    2.6 “Flag on Tybee Island” page 40-41
    2.7 “My Kids at the Beach” page 42-43
    2.8 “Lighthouse near Tybee Island” page 44-45
  3. Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians
    3.1 “Gator and Snake” page 48-49
    3.2 “Tree Frog” page 50-51
    3.3 “Lizard” page 52-53
    3.4 “Blue Heron” page 54-55
    3.5 “Hummingbird” page 56-57
    3.6 “Painted Bunting” page 58-59
  4. Flowers and Trees
    4.1 “Pink Flower” page 62-63
    4.2 “Porch Flowers” page 64-65
    4.3 “Clover” page 66-67
    4.4 “Butterfly Tree Flowers” page 68-69
    4.5 “Savannah Tree” page 70-71
    4.6 “Dancer in a Floral Forest” page 72-73
    4.7 “Come to the Garden” page 74-77
    4.8 “Cherokee Rose” page 78-79
  5. Faith and Food
    5.1 “Floral Cross” page 82-83
    5.2 “Lenten Flower” page 84-85
    5.3 “Celtic Cross” page 86-87
    5.4 “Mary of God’s Favor” page 88-89
    5.5 “Lion and the Lamb” page 90-91
    5.6 “Breakfast with Friends” page 92-93
    5.7 “Peaches in a Bowl” page 94-95
    5.8 “Peach Cookies” page 96-97
    5.9 “Peach Pie” page 98-99
  6. Seasons and Weather
    6.1 “Pumpkins and Mums” page 102-103
    6.2 “Autumn Cottage” page 104-105
    6.3 “Spring Lambs” page 106-107
    6.4 “Peach Tree Hurricane” page 108-109
    6.5 “Eye of the Storm” page 110-111
    6.6 “God’s Promise” page 112-113
    6.7 “We Gather Together” page 114-115
    6.8 “Savannah Snow” page 116-117
    6.9 “I Believe in Santa” page 118-119

aww

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