As an artist who always uses the tortoise as my subject matter, I thought it was the perfect idea (and a natural progression) to include the Tortoise' shell as my armor against my enemies. The shell is an armor and protection that the tortoise never looses or grows out of. This work is a bit of a self portrait and portrait of fellow Christians. In the spiritual realm, the battle between good and evil, Christians are protected by the shield of prayer which the Tortoise' Shell represents. That shell we can always revert into it for protection. I also did a little research after reading Ephesians 6:10-20 and understood how many of what I experience, much of what I see on the news or happening all around me are evidence of the wiles of the devil. I wanted to show a modern and current example of these weapons. These scriptures are not ancient stories but they are showing us what is happening today. Prayer is an ancient weapon that worked centuries ago and it is also a modern weapon that works today.

When I think about Ephesians 6:10-20 I come to the conclusion that this present world is full of spiritual wickedness that disguise themselves in everyday occurrences and incidents. Take for example disasters, abuse, racism, sporadic wars, multiple murders, varied sicknesses and diseases, new strains of viruses that are plaguing our society, and just about every bad thing you can think about.
It is the mandate of Satan to steal, kill and destroy Gods people, But in God we have life and have it more abundantly, St John 10 vs 10. In my portrayal of these scriptures, I use a familiar theme of protection which is a Tortoises' Shell. The shell is strong and impenetrable, one can always go in and find peace, solace and a hedge. I try to get the viewer to think and look at how the enemy is trying to destroy Gods people but he will not succeed because we have Jesus Christ who we can pray to for protection and coverage. Prayer is the weapon I believe to conquer the enemy in everything that we do. Once we pray without seizing It is the only driving force and the only way we can fight against this enemy in every battle we face in the world. The different elements presented in this painting suggest the spiritual wickedness that may be hidden underneath circumstances that we face each day. The tortoise may seem slow in our eyes but it has an enduring trait and lasting life span. The race is never for the swift or the battle for the strong, but it is for those who can endure to the end.

Gretel White
Painter

The work is an original piece it is acrylic on canvas. I would have to ship the piece via Fedex if it's being purchased.