Tension Breaks

This is the second piece from a colored pencil art series of self portraits titled “The Secret Place” focusing on the perspective shift that takes place when I enter a state of rest and surrender through prayer and meditation, found by communing with God. In this piece, the perspective of self absorption that so inflates the ego and all anxiety is confronted by a mirror (most of my viewers see this as a canvas instead, and I am not apposed to that interpretation) that stands on the other side of an open Bible. Finding one’s worth and identity in the creator redefines what is important and what is not. Additionally, behind the Bible there is a nighttime reflection on a window (many see this as only a mirror and I begrudgingly a life these viewer’s their interpretation). This reflection reveals a reality that is only poking through dimly (illustrated with the image of dark trees outside). The reality we perceive is often very different from what actually is, and the darkness reaching in is often completely invisible to us, so we must keep a light to guide our steps

Year: 2026

Dimensions: 24.0″ × 18.0″