How Many Petals Have Fallen?

Recently, flowers have been my focus— their beauty, irresistible, undeniable. Let’s face it, everyone on the globe loves a flower. In meditating on why this might be, I have come to believe that one of the reasons their beauty crosses all cultural boundaries is their vulnerability to ruin. Chun Xiao explores this aspect of flowers in the well-known ancient poem, “Spring Dawn.” He is lying awake just before sunrise, and remembering the evening storm, he wonders how many petals have been blown off the flowers in his garden. This thread of thought reminds me of how delicate the balances are in our world. I want to be grateful for this precarious beauty and the One who holds it together. This painting of poppies develops a tension— brilliant color to reveal their delicate nature and an adapted dry brush stroke to accent the stone-like power of their beauty.