For those who may not know, Matt is my late husband. Recently, his mom, Ann, asked me to create a painting for their primary bathroom. She offered me complete freedom, with just one request—that it represent both her and her husband Johnny.
I knew immediately it needed to be a round canvas, ringed in gold, like their wedding bands; symbols of covenant, faithfulness, and a love refined by time.
The colors followed naturally. While they were chosen to complement the space where the painting would live, each one carried deeper meaning. Ann and Johnny are most at home outdoors, surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. To reflect that, I chose a rusty brown, a deep, living green, and a touch of turquoise (Ann’s favorite color and stone) echoing earth, growth, and sky.
As the paint began to move, the shape revealed itself as both a cross and a tree. It felt like truth taking form. They have been rooted in Christ for as long as I have known them (more than 25 years) built up in Him, strengthened through faith, steady and unmoved. Like a strong tree, they have weathered countless storms, both physical and emotional, yet they continue to stand, growing deeper rather than breaking.
When the round canvas was finished, I realized I had mixed more paint than I needed. Instead of stopping, I continued the story. On a rectangular canvas, I poured the same colors again, sculpting the paint into a more defined tree. Both pieces turned out better than I could have hoped!
I took the paintings to the Ellington family farm and photographed them in the field behind their hundred-plus-year-old farmhouse. Surrounded by open land and enduring trees, the paintings seemed to belong there, just like the legacy Ann and Johnny have built: a life rooted deeply in Christ, built on faith, strengthened through every season, and still growing together.
Celebrating Love,