Slow Down and Laugh a Little! | 16x20 Original

Jennifer's Thoughts:

This is a newer painting! It's definitely full of joy, whimsy, and fun! I didn't have a predetermined plan for it...I just began to draw and let things pop into place. I'll share some of my thoughts on what it means to me and of course feel free to keep your own interpretation if it means something different to you.

To me the sloth represents God! Haha! In my times alone with God he's been showing himself to me symbolically as a sloth, LOL! I love his sense of humor! His purpose in this was to show me that it's okay to slow down, to be more still, and to really take in each moment...staying aware of him and the blessings found within an 'ordinary' day. God's ways are opposite from the world's ways...the world pressures us to DO MORE FASTER while God says SLOWER &  LESS can be better!

I believe the sloth is blue because blue is often symbolic of truth, heaven, & peace. Next to the sloth is a heart and some wine which represents eating and drinking God's love and drinking in his Spirit. As I feed on God's love & drink of Him I get more & more full of his JOY...and by the way I really do experience this regularly where I get so overtaken by his presence that I feel drunk on JOY and I can't stop laughing...it's like a euphoria that I don't want to end!!! ...so that's what I see happening as the girl sits on the floor laughing as she enjoys God.

Now onto the rainbow!... it flows through the painting which to me represents God's promises and to keep hope that he is faithful to fulfill his promises no matter what life may be throwing at us. The rainbow was created by God as a sign to remember his agreement to love humanity & keep his promises to us. When I trust God's goodness to me I am able to surrender my care & worry and I enjoy life on a whole new level. I want his rainbow flowing through every day!

I want this painting to really express freedom to be playful, childlike and oozing with JOY! Over the last past few years I've really focused on and studied JOY & laughter and how healing it is. When we smile, laugh, or experience happiness our body releases 'feel good hormones'. Joy is often a choice, just like it's a choice to exercise...so I have on the paper in the painting a reminder to SMILE! Exercise that thing even when you don't want to and good feelings begin to follow.

why not smile for the next 60 seconds and see how you feel?

In the painting there's a wall of eyes which to me represent God seeing everything and him knowing me and the details of my life fully. I am fully know by him, flaws and all, and yet he loves me so completely and he also knows EXACTLY what I need. Nothing is hidden and I find comfort in that.

The moon to me is bringing light to the situation...God is light and God is good so wherever more light can shine the better things will be! There's a city in the background which I often put in my paintings and now my husband & I live in the busy city of DTLA. For me I have always loved the energy and busyness of city life.

One other thing I notice is that the girl in the painting is sitting on the floor and if you know me I always choose to sit on the floor if possible. I feel so much more comfortable on the floor...are you a floor person too?!

...so there it is!... A painting showing the joys and intimacy of chillin with God! I hope you like it!