.jpg)
About a year ago, a friend of mine had her life changed in an instant. Her daughter Kayla, was murdered in her car while she was talking to a friend on her cell phone. Her mother Robin is one of the strongest people I have met in a long long time. When she approached me to do a painting of her daughter, I jumped. I was given freedom to do it however I wanted. I soon found out that it was not up to me.
O Christmas afternoon, I passed by the blank canvas sitting on the easel in my dining room, and was called. I picked up the brushes and began to paint. Something happened when I sat down. Time stood still and Kayla and I had a day of panting like no other. As feelings and thoughts flooded my soul, God guided me. I sat there at the end of the day looking at the painting that I created and thinking that I now knew this girl. I knew her happiness and her joy. I new her message that she sent over and over to her mother, "I am safe and I am joyous". Simple and quiet these thoughts flowed through her eyes.
I delivered the final painting to Robin yesterday. There were many tears of joy and loss. And I found it hard to let her go. I can only imagine what her mother and friends experienced as they had to let her go last year.
I want to say thank you to Robin and Kayla for giving me this project. It is one that I will remember for always. I will forever be changed in some small way because of you both.
This world and life is not about money, anger, resentments,power or anything else. It is about one thing....God's love. We all have so many precious moments to be shared and experienced and paid forward.....
Enjoy!
"Kayla"
24X36 Mixed media on canvas
By Michele Lee copyright 2008
6 comments:
I believe that you captured life and love in this piece Michele. Her beauty does shine forth.
Most excellent.
It turned out wonderful!
Thanks for sharing it :)
Michele, I will forever be grateful to you. Thank you for allowing God to use you in such a special way. I look at 'Kayla' and her eyes come to life. No photo I have of her even begins to capture her 'light' the way that you did.
You are precious to me and I thank you for wanting to do this for me and for loving her.
I am Robin's sister, Cindy and cannot open the pictures here at work, but have forwarded the email to my home and cannot wait to get home and see them. We miss Kayla so very much. She was a beautiful person inside and out and is missed terribly by all of us. Her memory will live on forever. Thank you for doing this favor for Robin. She has been so strong through it all and has alot to go through yet with all the trials, etc. Please keep her in your prayers and God Bless you!!!
Cindy Stieg
What a beautiful and meaningful portrait. How awesome that you were able to provide such a gift to honor Kayla and sooth her family. God bless them.
Post a Comment