About the Painting: “Consider the Lilies”

Consider the Lilies is a painting that’s directly inspired by Matthew 6:25-34 in the Bible. In the passage, Jesus uses analogies from nature to illustrate how God loves and takes care of us.

Consider the Lilies – 48” x 48”, mixed media on canvas, 2023, available

He points to the birds first. He reminds us that they don’t stress over their next meal or store up their food, and yet God provides for them every day.

Then he asks, “Why do you worry about clothes?” and says, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” And if God dresses the flowers with such beauty; flowers which are alive one day and withered away the next, how much more will he clothe and care for his children?

When I painted this piece, I was walking through a season of great anxiety. I felt like my days were constantly revolving around some worry over the future. So I returned to this verse often, and it brought me a lot of peace.

Because the Lord loves me, I know that he will take care of me. Just as He provides for the birds and dresses the lilies, I know He’s also in control of my life. I don’t need to fear.

To capture this story, I chose a big canvas to represent a vast sky full of birds or a field full of flowers. I used loose strokes of pastel and paint to express feelings of release. The negative spaces in the composition are visual reminders to breathe.

The green marks emulate long strands of soft grass in an open meadow, swaying in the wind. The orange and yellow marks could be flowers, but they could also be birds flying around. The color palette as a whole is that of an Easter Lily - so bright and fresh and hopeful.

Overall, I’m really pleased with the ways this painting accomplished my goal to express Matthew 6:25-34. The piece makes me feel calm and comforted, and I hope it’ll offer those feelings to viewers as well.

Consider the Lilies is currently available to collect. If it speaks to you, please feel free to inquire about it by contacting me at annanunez.art@gmail.com.

If you’re interested in collecting a print of this painting, it’ll be available in 3 sizes on February 13, 2024!