The inspiration for this painting came to me during a church youth group meeting, as I reflected on a discussion of reception of Holy Communion and thought about the ways in which my own faith has grown and evolved. I have also been involved with Direct Prep for Confirmation classes, and my oldest son received the Sacrament of Confirmation in 2024. It occurred to me that we receive God not only in the Eucharist, but we must receive him as the Holy Spirit continuously as well–not only at Confirmation.
This inspiration was only possible because my husband and I had listened to the Holy Spirit and made the difficult decision to move to our present parish. Similarly, others have found their way to the same parish (which, by the way, is named Spirit of Hope), where they have been inspired to use their own gifts and talents and have been influential in my life. So, this painting is fundamentally a celebration of the presence and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, when we listen to that “still, small voice” (even when it may be scary and difficult).
The inspiration stayed on my mind for some time, but I felt intimidated about putting something so complex and ambiguous to paper. This would be my first painting that didn’t have a reference photo (I used various photos to help with components of the painting, but there was no model for the overall composition). Finally, as Confirmation day approached, I decided it was now or never. I quickly painted this small 5×7, scanning the painting to make a card for my son and then gifting the original to a friend and colleague who inspires me and has helped me forge ahead through difficult times.
Symbolism
This piece is rich with symbolism, some of it personal to me, and some of it characteristic of religious art.
The hands are placed in the position for receiving Communion, something that has been a personal journey and matter of discernment in my life. In this case, though, they are receiving the Holy Spirit. This is a reminder that receiving the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and guidance is something we must actively choose to do each and every day.
The Spirit is portrayed as a dove, which is of course very common in religious art. To suggest a flurry of motion, I depicted its wings in three different positions. The number three symbolizes the Holy Trinity.
Above the dove is a bright light enclosed in a gold circle. A gold circle also surrounds the human hands. This, again, symbolizes the Trinity: God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God made Man. The deeper symbolism is that the Holy Spirit is the “link” uniting us as humans to God the Father, and that God lives within us–we are not separate. The circles themselves are symbolic of the infinite nature of God.
Interestingly, after I painted this piece, I was gifted a book in celebration of Catechetical Sunday and was shocked to find a diagram within which depicted basically exactly what I was trying to portray, but which I didn’t fully understand myself. The book, Moving in the Spirit by Richard J. Hauser, SJ, uses triangles, but the concept is fundamentally the same. I highly recommend this book.
This is one of the more colorful pieces I have ever done, and the colors, too, are symbolic. Red is commonly associated with Confirmation. The hands emerge from a deeper purple near the bottom, showing how God, through the Holy Spirit, illuminates our minds and our lives.
Details
Size: 5″ x 7″
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Completed: September 2024