“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:3)
I just fell in love with Dame Margot Fonteyn, the more photos and videos I saw caused me to become encaptivated by the manner in which her beautiful soul radiated through dance; it was hard to explain how her whole body spoke to me of this loveliness … from the poise of feet to tips of fingers. Hours upon hours of practice and hard work made her a world class technician of ballet, yet what I also glimpsed was an other-worldly explosion in the atmosphere around her of something alive, magnificent, sublime, that kept me transfixed and because of this I have used her as a reference in several pieces of my work.
This painting is full of meaning around the mining town I was brought up in and metaphors about being raised from the ashes and drawn out from the darkness on meeting Jesus as my Lord … a sense that always He was there, always the potential for beauty, always the freedom to be expressive, yet more often than not moving amongst the debris of yesteryear and focussing on the rain clad pavements and soggy trainers. When we focus our gaze upwards and live in the light from heaven our earthly lives are changed down here, no longer do we see the stark poverty of our souls, no longer the dirty shoes, and what we leave behind is powerful and beautiful like red rose petals strewn down every path we walk.
“Firebird dancing amongst the coal glistening in the blackness, the sound of grafting, perpetually turning machines, blood, sweat and tears woven into the montage of your life … The smutty windows and ash filled air …. stars not bright enough to show the way home through smoke smeared skies.
Do these ghosts of the past, this painted backdrop make you who you are?
Behold, the light now falls on you, your heart is glad, raised to the highest heights and glowing with heaven’s kisses … your radiance dazzles, set alight absorbing these lush moments of love.
See now, the blood bought satin shoes you wear, the intricate breastplate, the beautiful helmet, an armour of saving grace, shining in the darkness as you dance and twirl, leap and pirouette down rose strewn paths laid out ahead. No longer a firebird but a firebrand, a dancing flame setting the coals ablaze.”
