The Object Of Hope—the image

This was the first image I noticed, that jumped out at me from all my other images. Not the quality of the image but the story it told.

This image and the artwork I’ll create from it is all about finding hope amidst the chaos and death. Even the setting of the artwork after it’s completion will emphasize this.

Let’s start with the size and placement of the swan itself. It is small and in the background. The trees in the foreground and background are busy and in sharp detail. The reflections are beautiful but distracting. Now look at the swan, it is slightly out of focus. This is not a photoshop edit but how I took the picture.

I have a confession to make, this particular shot was supposed to have the swan in focus. I have other shots with “proper” focus but after living with this for a few weeks I realized that this is exactly how this image is supposed to be.

Isn’t that just like hope? Small, in the distance and out of focus?

It can be so hard to find any hope at all and if you are fortunate enough to do so it’s hard to stay focused on. Something’s always trying to draw your attention away from it. Often it is ourselves, but even the slightest movement—the frown of a friend, a flat tire or burnt toast can distract us enough to fall back into brokenness and we have to search all over again for that one little glimmer, that tiny piece of light called hope.

Hope is tiny, hope is small, sometimes there’s no hope at all. I just wrote that! You’re welcome.

Of course as we heal and transform hope grows. As it does others begin to notice the change in us, sometimes before we do. It grows and we take another step and then it grows again. The nature of hope is a lot like the nature of faith. As I think of it perhaps it is the very essence of hope that turns into faith. Or, to say it another way, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I think I’ve read that somewhere.

So there is the image. I’ll have to write again on the artwork derived from the image. It holds as much meaning for me now as it did in the beginning.