The colors of Easter

This one was painted over a previous work
without covering it with white paint first, and I love the way what shows through enhances what's been added.

I like those bright oranges, really like the way the yellow ochre works in the background, but my favorite bit is that little patch of cobalt blue in the upper left.

And in a way, the painting feels like Easter to me, even though it's not in traditional Easter pastels -- the pink, baby blue, pale yellow, and lavender of supermarket Peeps. I think it's the vitality of it that speaks to me: bright, happy, uplifting, colorful, joyful -- the way I used to feel at the end of the Easter Vigil service, when all the lights came on, the music sounded, and we all began to dance.

 Truth be told, I was never all that fond of Easter Sunday: all those folks, coming to church for the first time in months, dressed in their Easter finest, with flowers everywhere and the organ bellowing "He is Risen."  My favorites were the deep hours of the night on Maundy Thursday, when we were invited to sign up, two by two, to sit for an hour in the quiet sanctuary, making up for the disciples who fell asleep in the garden, and the Vigil service, which in at least one church I attended started with a candlelight parade to a darkened church, and then walked through all the key passages of the Bible to culminate in removing the black cloth from the cross and the aforementioned lights, music and dance. (Whoa: that was a record long sentence!)

I don't "do" church any more, but I do miss the ritual and symbolism of it, especially on days like today. And I do sympathize with all the folks who are missing the opportunity to gather together and celebrate. But the day WILL come when we can gather again, and there will be much to celebrate when that day arrives. In the meantime we can celebrate by setting aside our petty grievances and praying "for all who wake, or watch, or weep" in this world.

And just for jollies -- speaking of Peeps -- here's my own little peeps sculpture, which made it into the Seattle Times quite a few years back:

Happy Easter!