Resurrection Lilies

I started this painting as a sketch last Easter in preparation for painting during the worship service our church had at the local high school.  I do a lot of preliminary work the week preceding Easter so that when I come to the big canvas on Easter morning a lot has already been worked out in my mind.  This year the focus was on the lilies and their symbolic meaning of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In doing the finished painting in the studio I loved seeing how many colors there really were reflected in a white lily.  The red vases are symbolic of the blood Christ shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  symbolically, the white flowers are in stark contrast to their background. And then in strong contrast of the scene on the cross, Jesus rose from the dead!    On Easter we celebrate that God sent His son to give His life so that we might truly experience His forgiveness and fullness of life.  This canvas celebrates the resurrection.