On this first day of Advent, I begin with a reflection on entering the darkness which is truly an act of creation.
When I painted the 7 Days of Creation in 2014, my relationship with darkness as a place of birthing new things had barely begun. I was invited to paint the creation story by a woman I met on one of my first retreats. She had been following my early work and simply said, “You are going to paint the creation story next.”
I sat down with Genesis and a small sketch book. Thumbnails appeared and the blank canvases were purchased. It was my first encounter with gesso & and acrylic on canvas and the beginning of my understanding that the pieces start with a vibrational transmission embodied in the gesso patterns.
I noticed how difficult it was for me to fully enter the darkness of where it all started.
This would not be a pretty painting, I thought.
No one will like it. (No one will like me.)
Still, into the darkness I went. My desire to create, to materialize something in the outer world, required me to go where I preferred not to go.
And I made this painting. I didn’t love it, but there it was: DAY 1.
In 2015, Alana Levandoski selected this painting to accompany the title song on her album, “Behold, I Make All Things New.” She made two versions of the song — one identified with “Alpha,” the other with “Omega.”
In the beginning…
I will be writing more on darkness and the creative process that is our life throughout Advent. If you’re interested in being part of the unfolding, follow me here.
In the season of darkness with you, Julie.
JULIE ANN STEVENS 