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Removing the Thorn
Published: 2012-11-30 07:40:02 +0000 UTC; Views: 31920; Favourites: 2169; Downloads: 0
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Description
Oil on Canvas: 48 x 60.Removing the Thorn came to me in a dream in 2008 when I began to journal about the path of life. In the dream, a white haired man came to my door. Wanting to buy my house on the spot, he handed me a handful of cash. As I invited him inside I explained to him that I was only renting. I offered to show him a map of the area but he didnβt seem too interested. I looked for one anyway while he sat at my dining room table. When I returned with the map, this painting is what I saw sitting in front of him as though he had just painted it. I was drawn in by the unconventional Jesus whose Lordship is not the clipping of claws as we might fear, but rather the digging out of our deepest hindrances so that the lion within us can be liberated. The symbolism of the peacock that emerges from the lionβs chest represents the beauty that comes after we surrender our brokenness to the healer rather than trying to conceal our limp.
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Comments: 258
Wow, that is amazing. God still speaks in dreams. I am happy to see a fellow "Daily Deviant" displaying their personal faith in a powerful, skillful, and very moving way. Can't wait to see more from you!
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The pain in the lion's eyes is amazing and the concentration and focus on the thorn on the man's face is astonishing. this is an amazing painting.
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wow this is not only amazing art wise but also the dream is amazing as well ! beautiful work and symbolism!
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Beautiful. Just absolutely stunning.
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Wow, that is a lovely dream. Thank you for sharing it and this wonderful painting with us!
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There are no words to describe the beauty of this picture. God bless you!!!
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this... is... like... wow. no words from the master of critique come. it is in my mind perfect. ζζη₯η¦δ½ οΌδΈεΈηζΌεΊθ γ(bows) (btw, the symbols are traditional Chinese [can be translated with bing translator])
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Wow, so deep.
It's so beutiful.
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That is truly beautiful.
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amazing! i really have no words to describe this!
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I like the story behind it!
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This is so incredibly gorgeous, and the fact that you saw this painting in a dream makes it all the more incredible. I'd say it was definitely God who put the idea in your mind!
Brilliantly done. I absolutely adore it.
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I'm so glad to see such a beautiful picture about God here on deviantART. Well done, and congratulations for the Daily Deviation! You definitely deserved it!
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This is so amazing and beautiful on so many levels. During a moment when I was feeling extremely depressed and hopeless, wondering if anyone cares and if I'll ever dig out of the black hole I'm in, I saw this. It filled me with such a sense of awe, and when I read your description I felt peace wash through me. I was reminded that Christ cares, and that He'll get me through this, one way or another. He will remove the thorn if only I let Him, so to speak. The art itself is breathtaking, just beautiful in every aspect. I just had to share with you the huge impact it had on me, right when I really needed it. Thank you, thank you, thank you
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This is beautiful. When I have some $$$ I am definitely going to buy this one if it's still for sale.
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there are some mistakes in anatomy but anyway - great one! well done
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Oh my God. I've LOVED these type of Illustrations, I always thought they were so breath-taking, and it's jjust... "Wow"
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This is beautiful... I love the symbolism in it, and it's just beautifully done overall. I also really like all of the shades of blue. Not many Christian works are featured as Daily Deviations, but I'm glad this one was. It is very well-deserved.
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Amazing colors and details - congrats on the DD
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Beautiful colours, very nice.
Gotta admit though, at first I thought he was sitting on the peacock
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This is absolutely incredible, I'm blown away! You are truly gifted
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A beautiful representation of a wonderful dream with a deep meaning. Your choice of colors and your effective use of lighting, tones, and shades (especially the repetition of blue) help immerse the viewer into a dreamscape that tells us all that our greatest moments of maturity take place in the darkness and when we completely surrender our entire being to God's perfect Will. Your piece is exactly what I'm going through right now in my life. Thank you very much for creating an amazing painting. Keep up the good work!
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Thanks for noticing that. I was heading in the direction of an underwater scape as a way to give that dream like feel. I used lots of marine colored glazes. In fact the glazing, in my opinion, is what saved this painting from being really unexciting.
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I think that you did get that "underwater" feeling in there by having Jesus' hair flow elegantly in the moonlit air. Even if you don't feel like you did, I still say that this painting is a beautiful work of art.
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I love it, it's so evocative of the fact that Jesus came to liberate us, not chain us.
That having been said, I can't help but imagine this scene taking place prior:
Jesus: Hold still, you big baby.
Lion: AAAHHHHH!!!
Jesus: . . . I haven't even touched it, yet.
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Yeah exactly. In my observation it seems that there is more trauma in the surrender, than there is in all our initial wounding, (partly because they involved agreements), and the digging out aspect once we finally do get to the trusting part. Some thorns could just be some belief systems, maybe even our religiosity, so it can be a really threatening prospect to let go of something that we think contributes to our identity.
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hmm... very deep at first I didn't see the peacock but when I did I liked it! Although I must admit, I clicked onto this page to make sure the lion wasn't dead, because when I first saw it he looked very shocked and still. I am glad this was not the case. good job I like the flower and steps in the background too.
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Yea, Dead Lions don't sit well with me either. Thank you for your comment
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That's awesome. And a good way to portray, I think - because it hurts as he pulls the thorn, a bit more than the thorn alone already did. And yet we're so much better off, and freer, once we let Him take it out
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Absolutely beautiful! 
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This is a fantastic painting and the message is awesome (: It hurts sometimes but we have to let the Healer dig our deepest hindrances as you said. Awesome!
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This is very good! And the description of your painting/dream is very vivid. Congratz!
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is that a knife he uses?
and you know, before reading the description I was thinking like "that man somehow reminds me of jesus" but I wasn't sure about the lion so then I turned to the comment, guessing that the pic doesn't have anything to do with jesus afterall but... found i was wrong
it's a very strong meaning and speaks into my current situation. thank you
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I love this painting so much. It is so beautiful and charming. Your description really brings life to it. If this is displayed anywhere, there should be a plaque with this description beneath it.
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Not only is this painting awesome, but the explanation of it is SO MUCH COOLER.
Props to you.
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This is such a beautiful painting. The symbolism is so lovingly elegant and telling. Congratulations on the DD
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Wow, this is great! I love your story of how the idea came to you too and your meaning behind it. Lovely!
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Very good religious drawing you did here.
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Wowww! This is beautiful!
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Very espiritual! Hard to find this kind of work, but it is really worth the time. 
I will look for more of your pics. Keep the good work!
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The Truth. Incredible. Jesus saves and it's a great grace. The best part of this dream is in your head but I'm glad I can see part of your vision. Thank you that you painted it!
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very rarely do i find religious work inspiring or meaningful (and i'm a practicing catholic!) but your piece is incredibly well-executed, meaningful on many levels, and beautiful in its intensity. especial props on the modern jesus, he is dressed like a gardener or day laborer--and that's exactly as he would be today, i think!
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Beautiful work. I love the expressions especially, the lion seems really tense and anxious while the man is calm and determined. Very well done.
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