"Streams in the desert / Ströme im dürren Lande" // Original painting on canvas, 22"x28"
Title: "Streams in the desert / Ströme im dürren Lande" (2025)
Medium: Acrylic ink, marble dust, acrylic, gold foil, and copper foil on canvas
Size: 22"x28"x1.5"
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Paradise begins in the wilderness
The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower.
It will blossom abundantly
and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
…
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,
for water will gush in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the parched ground will become a pool,
and the thirsty land, springs.
–Isaiah 35:1-2, 5-7
It’s tempting to think Paradise is made up only of lush gardens and that we must seek out such places of abundance in order to experience the beauty and transformative presence of God. Another prevalent viewpoint is that we have to wait until long after we die for relief—one day, all this material world will not matter anymore, and so this worldly experience is insignificant. Neither are fully true. Many of us have experiences during our lives that are far from easy, comfortable, or good. Instead, we find ourselves in the midst of a hostile and desolate landscape, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and physically, and these experiences can make God feel far away. It is only natural that we might wonder how a good God could allow such suffering. We may also be tempted to deny the importance of such experiences since one day all things will be magically fixed, and we can fall victim to spiritualizing, trivializing, or denying our pain, robbing it of its formative powers for good or evil on our immortal soul.
Isaiah 35 paints a vision of a future Paradise that starts in the wilderness. This is vital to grasp: God’s people don’t have to escape the desolate place in which they find themselves in order to begin to experience bits of heaven. God brings life to that wilderness and into their particular, localized suffering, and he makes it a place where his people can begin to experience his presence and transformation. What must he be like that he makes even the desolate landscape into a lush garden, into a place where sorrow can no longer thrive and is overtaken by joy? When we consider Jesus’ passion, this image makes sense. It is on this road of sorrow that the Son of Man walked where these crocuses began to bloom, watered by his tears. It is through his wounds we are healed. And our passages through the wilderness are not just highways toward our joy, they are paths of formation where we get to be closer to him and his experience, being seen and known fully in our suffering, because Jesus suffered, too. And we can hope in the midst of that suffering, because the road does not end in a final death, but a promised resurrection and final renewal of all things.
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ARTWORK INFORMATON
Original canvas collage painting in red earth, gold, yellow, blue, green, and shimmering purples.
All artwork is signed on the back. Can be signed on the front at collector's request.
Keep in mind that paintings can look slightly different in person. I paint using a lot of texture, so they are even better when you can see them in person - it is hard to capture here!
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COPYRIGHT
Artwork is protected by copyright. All images displayed are property of Kelly Kruse. The sale of original artwork does not include the sale of copyright, including rights to reproduce or license imagery. All rights reserved.
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SHIPPING & HANDLING
Shipping for this listing is for contiguous US States and will be fulfilled via USPS or FedEx ground within the US.
I will gladly reduce prices for combined shipping! Please contact me and let me know which paintings you want shipped together and I can give you a quote and then adjust the shipping amount on the painting listings.
I will ship internationally. Please contact me if you want to make a purchase so that I can let you know how much it will cost you to ship. If you do decide to go ahead and buy, I will then change my listing so that it allows you to do so. International buyers are responsible for any duty relative fees and UPS broker fees. I will not mark your package as 'gift' in order for you to avoid the duty fees.
The shipping price in this listing is for the contiguous US only. ALASKA and HAWAII will cost more. Please contact me first for a shipping quote before you purchase so that I can adjust the cost on the listing. Thank you.