Hidden Gold

For me, there’s always been something especially captivating about the use of gold in artwork. The first time I recall truly being impressed by it was in the paintings of Gustav Klimt during my high school years (and yes, I did have a poster of The Kiss hanging in my college dorm room!). I couldn’t have explained it at the time, but now I’m certain—it’s the luminous quality that gold gives to a subject. It’s almost as though we’re getting a glimpse of the divine, a hint of the mystical side of the world hidden from our eyes in the ordinary flow of day-to-day life. Through art, a hidden truth is revealed.

Only recently have I begun experimenting with gold (paint) myself. I decided to start simply—using it as the underpainting, the very first layer covering the canvas. One of the beautiful things about trying something new in art is that you never truly know how it will turn out. There are always surprises.

This time, the surprise came in how movement and light transformed the finished piece. From one perspective, no gold was visible. But take a step to the side, and gold suddenly flashed through. Move again, and the colors and light shifted once more. My vase of peonies—a seemingly ordinary subject—wasn’t so ordinary anymore. It was revealing its secret splendor and life. I was genuinely delighted, and grateful for the gift it gave me. A very happy “accident” indeed.

I couldn’t help thinking—that’s so often the way God works. Many times in my life, I’ve had an idea in mind, but God had something much fuller and richer planned. And His plan is always better than mine. He can surprise us in the most beautiful of ways. And for that, I’m grateful.

If this reflection stirred something in you, you’re warmly invited to receive Notes from the Bower each month—quiet letters filled with nature reflections, glimpses from the studio, and small moments of beauty and joy. You can join here.