In His Hands Description:
This painting is an illustration of how we are never alone, no matter how lost and lonely we may feel in the midst of the chaos of our mind and life.
I painted myself in the middle of a cracked desert to symbolize how isolating mental exhaustion can be. To deal with anxiety and overthinking on a daily basis is both physically and mentally draining. The cracks in the desert reflect the cracks in the facade that many people who struggle with mental health have to carefully construct to conceal the battle that they are in with their minds.
The ruminating thoughts that accompany generalized anxiety disorder can be very debilitating. The stress that these unrelenting thoughts bring make me feel like my body is going to crack. The barren and cracked earth I am sprawled across is a reflection of that inner turmoil.
The turbulent water that courses around the dry patch of desert I lay on represents the unyielding anxious thoughts that can never be kept at bay and the tireless pace of my environment. The demands of being a mother, wife, and career woman are overwhelming at times and like the waves around me, they threaten to engulf me at any given moment. While the tide goes out for a momentary minute of relief, it always rushes back in, encroaching on any calm that I try to create.
However, while my one hand reaches out blindly in the hopes of some solace, two hands rise up from underneath the earth, cradling me without my awareness. These hands symbolize God: the omnipotent presence that is always there, especially in the most difficult times. The hands break through the desert and cup me gently, a reminder that while I may feel alone in my struggles, God is holding me in my space - all I have to do is reach for Him and He will be there - He always has been.
So while it may feel like the world is crashing down around me and my thoughts threaten to flood my mind, I’ll never drown in the waters of despair because I am forever “In His Hands”.