For instance, the Mona Lisa hangs in the hallowed Louvre in France, yet for the life of me she just appears to be an ordinary woman no one knows that terribly much about. The same goes for Whistler’s Mother, who I’m sure was a lovely woman, yet if Whistler had not painted her I doubt anyone would have been any the wiser. Then there is the famous painting of a famer with his pitchfork and his wife gauntly staring forward known as the American Gothic that always seemed a bit dubious to me.
Yet, somehow all these works of art wielding a universal appeal have stood the test of time.. There is just something captivating in these paintings, an intangible that transforms people back to another time and place, something that people can relate to and find comfort in it.
For me personally, there is an
unnamed work of art that hangs in a hallway where I work, that warms my heart
every time I pass by it. It is an oil painting in pastel colors of a city
skyline at night. Try as I might, every time that I inquire about it no one
seems to be able to shed any light on the painting or its author. However, the
one thing that draws my attention most is the reddish/orange heart off in the
corner of this work of art. Allow me to explain.
About twelve years ago, my daughter,
Alisha, who was almost seven at the time drew something for me on a scrap of
paper drawn in markers, with the intent purpose of being a bookmarker. It was
simple and had an orange heart on it that read, “Jesus loves You.” It is said
that kids teach us far more than we ever teach them. A month after Alisha drew
that work of art she died and left behind her a reminder of the simple truth of
how much Jesus loves me. That orange heart is like rainbow to me, kind of like
what God sent Noah after the flood. Just like the heart in the unnamed picture
I mentioned previously, Alisha’s bookmarker reminds me Jesus loves me.
Even in my darkest moments, Jesus is not against me, rather He loved me so much
and all of us that He gave up His very own life for ours. Now that’s a love or
a work of art worth remembering. Her work of art hangs in my cubicle at work to
remind me to empty myself of all but love on a daily basis.
Around ten years ago, my son, Jordan,
drew a cartoon about me being an exterminator that I have till this day hanging
in my cubicle at work. In the picture I am being chased by an angry homeowner
after I sprayed in her garden by accident, then I am chased by angry bees, then
I am driving in my truck and finally it ends with me eating a sandwich for
lunch. The caption reads like this : Hi father. Go get um. Kill dem bug.
Spray, spray, spray. Drive , drive , drive. Complain, complain, complain. I
love that boy and his artwork because he showed me that he appreciated what I
did for him. To this day, this drawing in red marker makes me proud, because in
describing an average work day for me at the time in 2002 or so, Jordan made a
work of art.
My middle daughter, Sianna, has
drawn many works of art over the years as well. But, there are two favorite
drawings that standout the most. First, there is her panda drawing that
slightly looks like a penguin. Simply drawn on white paper with black marker
for the body and brown marker for the eyes, it just reminds me of how simple
and basic a child’s love is. Then there is the drawing that I like to call the one
eared man. Sianna was attempting to draw a panda but she stopped when it
looked more like a man than a bear. For my money, it best sums me up more days
than not. It is a very simple drawing of a guy smiling with one ear drawn in
black marker. I must admit I do not always pay the closest attention to details,
but I try to smile through life and do my best every day. Both works of art
reside in my cubicle at work and remind me to keep life simple and make the
most of every day.
Then there is Lia’s dolphin fin she
made for me out of construction paper. One day Lia out of the clear blue
starting making hats out of construction paper for my wife and I. One for Amy
and her football team the Pittsburgh Steelers and then Lia made a hat for me
for the Miami Dolphins, which I refer to as a Dolphin fin. Basically, they are
just Lia’s version of a rally hat. They are works of art to me made in love and
a childlike spirit of wanting to be accepted, all the while giving a little
piece of herself to us. And like all the others resides in my cubicle at work.
All of these examples serve to
remind me that you need not be famous to make a work of art, just be the best
you that you possibly can be. May we all live up to the notion that each and
every one of our lives is a work of art created by God and crafted by His very
own hands. And as He walks by His gallery, if there is such a thing, may we
give Him every reason to proudly proclaim, that work of art is mine.Swavel
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