To inquire about purchase, please email info@brookechao.com

This is a 20″x24″ acrylic and paper painting on canvas inspired by the hym of the same title.

I have wanted to try working paper into paintings and bought a big stack of wallpaper samples and some vintage (1920s) paper storybook shapes.

The first I used was this sort of swirly quatrefoil pattern. I cut out the swirls and glued them on, thinking I might do a vine/garden theme with bright colors. But when I started painting it quickly felt like a storm, so I leaned into it. I decided it would fade into blue and green to represent chaos fading into calm. I immediately thought of the lyrics to it is well with my soul. I added metallic gold to turn the swirls into lightning. I initially etched the refrain from the hymn into the bottom area but it never looked good to me, so instead I decided to use the little girl to represent someone who is calm even in a fierce storm.

Along the bottom I used wallpaper that was made up of was these squares with raised ridges. I cut the square shapes out and rotated them across the bottom. And layered and scraped until I got the effect I was going for.

Project Images

Click any of the images below, to view full size.