This piece expresses my love of the natural world, mixed with imagination and character. I wanted to use a monarch caterpillar in this piece because of the great amount of them we have around my property, and how much joy they bring me now and did in my childhood. I wanted to experiment with a metaphor on the change, growth, and rebirth of a being, and thought a caterpillar would be the best representation for that.

The different materials I used to create "A Time for Growth" includes:
Acrylic Paint & Acrylic Mediums
Polymer Clay
Thrifted Fabrics & Ribbons
Coloured Craft Papers
Illustration Board
Canvas
Wire

This work "A Time for Growth", fits into the contest topic of "The Spiritual Battle" because it expresses our complete trust in God to take care of our spirit, and change it to its full potential during times of hardship. I specifically chose the metaphor of a caterpillar inside of its chrysalis to display my own personal connection with God. Right now I am in a season of learning and growing in my relationship with Him, and through understanding Him better, the stronger my housing of trust is that I build on His word. I am the caterpillar, reading His word, learning about the love of Jesus, building my chrysalis in Him, so that I can go into the world more knowledgeable about Christ and display His beauty through the love He's given me.

The verse I used as inspiration is chosen from the selection of related verses. Romans 6:6 says: "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--". This expresses a change in self and spirit, and what better way to illustrate it than to use God's own creation of a caterpillar's growth cycle.

I resonate with this deeply based on my own constant repentance, in change of my thoughts inside and out, and giving my sinful self away so that I am a living example of Jesus' work in me.

Josslyn Hagen