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Thoughts On:

“My Soul’s Confidant”

"My Soul's Confidant"

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Fuchsia flowers are some of my favorites.  They seem so exotic and have such a unique shape.  I’ve never been very good at growing them though.  Guess I’ll have to keep practicing! Haa!

I learned recently that Ireland has lots of fuchsia bushes growing along the sides of the roads among other places (although they are not a native plant).  The pictures I’ve seen are just beautiful and I can’t wait to see them in person!

Roadside Fuchsia Hedges, West Cork, Ireland

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Fuchsia Plant Used for "My Sou'ls Confidant"

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Fuchsia Plant Used for "My Sou'ls Confidant"

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So, when I ran across a fuchsia plant in the spring of 2015, I had to purchase it and bring it home to photograph (as I did again this spring – 2016).

I used Adobe Photoshop to piece together several of the photos I took of the fuchsias into a composition for the sixth drawing in my “Enduring Roots” series.  As I worked in Photoshop, I began the process of thinking through the symbolism associated with the flowers I’d chosen, the symbolism of different Celtic patterns, and how I could combine those to express something about Christ and/or my Christian faith.

Fuchsias can symbolize humble love, taste, or confiding love.  In the context of confiding love, it’s said that they are typically given on romantic or significant occasions to show the trust that the giver has in the recipient.

Working with this symbolism was a bit more of a challenge for me than the previous drawings had been, but ultimately, the association with confiding love is what stuck out to me.  It brought to mind the trust that I have in Christ.  I know that I can confide in Him, that He will never leave and never abandon us.

As I thought about what Celtic patterns might help to express those thoughts, I decided that I wanted to give the maze patterns more prominence and to try using them to fill the arms of the Celtic crosses instead of simply as a border or on the wheel connecting the arms of the cross.  Since maze patterns can symbolize the twists and turns of life as well as a never-ending path, I felt as though they might help to communicate that Christ’s trustworthiness will never end, that it will always remain, and that we can confide in Him through life’s twists and turns.  (You can read more about the symbolism of Celtic patterns here.)
Maze Pattern on the Arms of the Cross

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Highlighted spirals in the design at the center of the cross.

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Trinity Knots & Triple Spirals

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I also thought that using clockwise spirals would be important to include since they can symbolize victory.  Here again, I connected some of them to Trinity Knots which then formed triple spirals both of which can reference the Holy Trinity.  My thought behind those choices was that trusting in Christ, and the Holy Trinity, brings us to a place of victory.  (I also just really love the pattern and rhythm that motif creates!)
Also referencing the Holy Trinity is a triskele in the center of the cross, as well as triquetras and variations of Trinity Knots in several other locations in the Celtic cross design.
Highlighted Triskele Motif

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Triquetra

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Highlighted Triquetras in the design at the center of the cross.

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Variation on a Trinity Knot

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Single Strand Celtic Knot

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The remaining Celtic knotwork forms a teal colored cross between the arms of the purple maze-patterned cross.  Knotwork can symbolize eternity and the interweaving of the physical and spiritual paths of our lives – the evidence of God’s hand at work in our lives.

In the context of this drawing and its message, this knotwork reminds me that God is at work in my life weaving things according to His plan, and that I can trust Him eternally.

So, those are the thoughts I had as I was composing “My Soul’s Confidant.”  But, as always, one of the great things about art is that each piece “speaks” to people differently.  I’d love to hear your thoughts or feelings on this piece.  Just leave your thoughts in the comment box below or send me an email from the “Let’s Chat” page.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me!

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