Visual Preludes 2006 - All Things in Christ

Doves, with their steadfast, gentle presence, visit constantly at the feeders outside my studio window. I often reflect on the sense of calm they bring. Recently I became fascinated with capturing images of their wings in flight, as they take off and land - sometimes all at once, very close together yet in harmony. I was struck by how powerful the doves' wings are, how swiftly and strongly they move: Great might enfolding gentleness; or is it the other way around?

The Gospel of Matthew tells us that after John baptized Jesus, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus "like a dove." The descent of a dove is a deceptively powerful thing. Mighty wings; great strength, suddenly gentled. The more I watched these doves, the more I thought about the beating and great rush of their wings in flight: the descent of the Holy Spirit, changing, in an instant, all it touches; perhaps the beating of God's heart.

This image was created with watercolor, acrylic, and colored pencil. Starting from a realistic rendering, I worked multiple layers of non-realistic colors and strokes, chosen instinctively for the emotion they evoked. Parts of the doves' wings and bodies are overlaid with an iridescent pigment that reflects light and changes color depending on the angle of view, so that the painting changes constantly as one moves past it.