“Always wear your invisible crown,” was a quote that caught my eye a while ago. I had seen it floating around Pinterest and I thought it would be a good reminder to hang up in our house. I liked the idea of having a visible prompt to remember my identity as a child of God.
This past week, I finally had the chance to sit down for an afternoon to put it onto a canvas. As I brainstormed how I would illustrate it, I thought I needed to add a little bit more to explain the source of the invisible crown. The statement on its own could be interpreted as egotistical perhaps, or fantastical and unrooted in reality. I decided to expand on the quote with, “You are a child of the King.” As I thought about where I would want to hang the painting, I decided the bathroom would be the best location. I wanted to put the painting there as a way to say, “Who do you see when you look in the mirror?”
I wanted to add another layer of interest to the piece so I made it a two part painting (also partly because of the size of canvases I had on hand) and wrote half of the text backwards so that it can be read when a person looks in the mirror. I positioned it so that when someone stands in front of the sink and washes their hands, they see a crown on their head. My hope is that it would serve as a reminder to our family and everyone who comes through our home of the dignity we carry simply because God says we matter.
As we celebrate Christmas Eve today, I share this painting as my gift to you. Remember who you are.
Remember Whose you are.
Remember Whose You Are / Acrylic on Canvas / 20×16 (two) / Dec 2012 / by Olive Chan
The painting as seen in the mirror
To see more of Tim’s and my artwork, visit our virtual art gallery. If you’d like a personalized piece of artwork for your home or as a gift, I am available to do commissioned art.
[Update: After posting this, our friend Zana commissioned me to do this piece for her massage therapy clinic. Here she is with her finished piece:]