My submission is heavily inspired by the art nouveau style. Set amongst plants native to my area, the lady wears armor, displaying the shield with the word 'faith' inscribed on it. The banner behind her blows in the wind, deep with a purple hue and lined in gold depict both the royalty and majesty of the Kingdom of the Lord and also our wealth and victory in him. The lady herself is calm, with a peaceful expression on her face that stems from the deep seated knowledge of the Lord's peace and promises upon her.

Native plants in my area are considered 'water-wise', meaning they conserve the water that falls and can survive long seasons of drought. These plants use what they are given to bloom in the climate they are in (100 F/40 C and beyond in the summer) with very little bursts of water. I chose these as sometimes we all enter a spiritual desert and must hold onto the water that falls from the heavens when it does to see us through- we are given exactly what we need (though this is not always what we think we want). The poppies set on her helmet represent remembrance for the fallen saints gone before.

Because the original book of Ephesians would have been written in Aramaic, all of the visible parts of her armor are inscribed with Hebrew words ('faith' on the shield, 'peace' on the legs, 'salvation' on the helmet, 'spirit' on the sword). The word at the top means 'armor that shines'. Growing above and to the sides of her are trees, representative of the Fruits of the Spirit, and wrapped around her is a cloak of red- symbolic of the blood of Christ.

The clusters of stars around her are painted with an iridescent watercolor, representing dreams (particularly Joseph's dreams) and the promises that come from prophetic words. There are 13 circles in gold, representative of the covenant between the 12 tribes of Israel and the Lord but also of the 12 disciples and Jesus. The background colors depict a sunrise, representing the Lord's light but also a rainbow in remembrance of His promise to Noah after the flood (the trees with fruit reminiscent of the olive branch brought by the dove).

My artwork is rather literal in its depiction of Ephesians 6:10-20. The lady wears a full set of armor inscribed with their various attributes. The lady is armed and ready for battle, calm and collected as she sits upon the care representative of the blood of the Lamb that covers us all and protects our backs and billows in the wind before us, guiding us and showing us the way an invisible wind blows (just as Jesus guided and helped humanity down God's often hard to see/invisible path). The red of the poppies on her helmet remind us of the fallen saints and also to pray for those in current battle in all moments- even when we find ourselves in peaceful moments such as the lady currently finds herself in.

A very large thank you to a friend, L.C., for her help in finding accurate translations of the words and for proof reading them.

Prints may be available in the future for purchase through my website thelovelybug.com

I provide educational programming as well as art education and am open for commissions from both private citizens and institutions (including but not limited to cities, businesses, non-profits, museums, national parks, and schools). I am available to contact via my website thelovelybug.com and email thelovelybug@yahoo.com