“Beauty in Tragedy” (below) is one of my watercolor paintings.

I don’t always share the meaning behind my paintings, or at least not all of it. But I will this one because of the somewhat unfitting title.

This was painted from a photograph I took over 5 years ago. It was taken during a hiking trip to Jack’s Mountain, PA. It holds a lot of meaning and memory for me. It was one of my dad’s favorite things to do – to hike in the woods. Though it holds treasure and beauty it also holds memory that is tainted by tragedy. By loss. By grief. At the time of painting this, it was nearly 5 years since my dad’s death.

When I look at the photograph, I feel sadness, but I also feel hope because time brings healing. Beauty is still found in tragedy and struggle, and so, in the painting I added white wildflowers to represent healing and growth that time offers. We are not the same people. Experiences, painful or joyous, change us. And I know God has a purpose in his death—I’ve seen Him working – and for that I’m grateful. And amidst the grief of losing him is when I started doing art again.

You can visit the painting here.