"Valley of Tears, Valley of Spring / Tal der Tränen, Tal des Frühlings" // Original painting on canvas, 22"x28"
Title: "Valley of Tears, Valley of Spring / Tal der Tränen, Tal des Frühlings" (2025)
Medium:Acrylic ink, marble dust, acrylic, gold foil, and copper foil on canvas
Size: 22"x28"x1.5"
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Longing for the Presence of God, Finding Home, and the Transmutation of Sorrow into Joy
Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord of Armies.
I long and yearn
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Even a sparrow finds a home,
and a swallow, a nest for herself
where she places her young--
near your altars, Lord of Armies,
my King and my God.
How happy are those who reside in your house,
who praise you continually. Selah
Happy are the people whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a source of spring water;
even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength;
each appears before God in Zion.
Lord God of Armies, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Jacob.Selah
Consider our shield, God;
look on the face of your anointed one.
Better a day in your courts
than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than live in the tents of wicked people.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield.
The Lord grants favor and honor;
he does not withhold the good
from those who live with integrity.
Happy is the person who trusts in you,
Lord of Armies!
I didn’t plan to illuminate this text when I started this project, but I was working on another of the paintings late one night and listening to sacred choral music as I often do, when a song by contemporary composer Caroline Shaw came up at random after I finished another album. I immediately recognized the words of Psalm 84, and I was so emotionally affected by the song I listened to it on repeat all day the next day during my studio time.
As I listened, I realized I had never given much (if any) notice to the second and third parts of this very familiar Psalm; I had over-simplified it thematically and thought it was only about longing for God’s temple and worship. I hadn’t noticed the image of birds that build their nests in the tabernacle, seeking a safe place to raise their young. I’ve been in a season of intense grief and loss and my longing for rest, peace, and fullness in the presence of Gods hit me hard and I just stood weeping tears of joy and longing at my painting table.
As I listened to the beautiful voices and God’s word, I realized my heart grew the most tender when I listened to them singing about the Valley of Baca, or Valley of Tears, and the way that in their wanderings, God’s people pass through the valley and “make it a place of spring.” Translations of this Psalm vary pretty widely, but it seems there is a consensus at least that some kind of transformative provision is happening in this valley of sorrow, whether it’s through the autumn rain softening the earth and making the land pliable or making possible the digging of a well. Presumably, in the valley of tears, the groundwater comes in some poetic way from the sorrow itself—imagine that for a moment! I could take a long detour here into the way that Jesus’ Passion, his valley of tears, digs an everlasting well from which we are able to drink eternal life.
In some sense, I think that no matter our worldview, there is some kind of agreement among human beings that we long for something beyond ourselves-–and many of us are striving for experiences to fill that desire for belonging, for completion, for home and fulfillment. This longing is a gift, for if we were satisfied fully in the things of the world, leading an existence free from sorrow, would we look outside ourselves and our own experience? That longing has the ability to drive us into God’s presence, the only home we’ll ever have that is eternal and unchanging.
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ARTWORK INFORMATON
Original canvas collage painting in blues, pink, green, yellow.
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
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