'The Luminous Messenger'

Student Reflection

My artwork was inspired by the passage Mathew 2:13-15. I relate to Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, fleeing from the looming peril that King Herod was to them. Herod’s power and strength as king was like the flames my family and I fled from in the 2020 bushfires, spreading further and further, gaining strength instead of losing it. 

I chose to paint the dream Joseph had when being warned by the angel Gabriel. I used watercolour as a medium because of its dreamy nature. Each stroke isn’t perfect or precise, which is what I love most about watercolour. When I picture an angel, I do not see the face, I imagine big feathery golden wings, and an illuminated figure. The clouds surrounding Gabriel are darker at the edges before becoming vibrant, symbolising the darkness and hope. I painted Gabriel wearing blue because this colour symbolises wisdom, serenity and freedom, all valid traits for a messenger of God, and ones I hope to find within a person.