Water Jars of Heaven

 

Every time we visit our son and his wife in Portland, OR we take time to go to the majestic Multnomah Falls. This was our first visit when it wasn't cold and rainy so we took our time taking photographs from various angles around the falls. This is one of the natural wonders that makes one...wonder. I used the photographs as reference to do a theological reflection in my art journal.

 Of course the waterfall itself is stunning, but I also was struck by the row of trees that stand as "sentries" along the top rim. It also was impressive to see the tall trees growing out of the side of the rock wall  to the left of the waterfall; contrasted to the bare right side.

At the hotel later that evening, I brought out my travel art supplies to do an artsy reflection on Multnomah. I used a thin felt maker to sketch in the shapes: the rim of the mountain, the waterfall, the trees, and the rocks. I made the waterfall in the seam of the page since it is the centerpiece of the experience. Then I used a light wash of watercolors.
After the basic art had been laid down, I kept thinking about the experience of being at the base of the waterfall and wondering about the source of all that water pouring down. The reflecting brought me to the Book of Job in the Old Testament. Job is shaking his fist at God and asking why Job had been struck by so much calamity. After his friends gave a wee bit of compassion, they then judged him guilty and "worthy" of all the bad things that had happened to him. God finally enters the dialogue near the end of the book and explains the awesomeness of God as THE GREAT CREATOR. I added portions of chapter 38 on the right side of the journal...and I will always look at Multnomah Falls as being "water jars of heaven."