Painter Andrew Wyeth’s Understanding of What Doesn’t Show on the Canvas Helps Him Better Draw What Does
Andrew Wyeth painted picture of General Lafayette’s quarters near Chadds Ford, Pa., with a sycamore tree behind the building. When his brother first saw the painting, Andrew wasn’t finished with it. Andrew showed his brother a lot of extra drawings of the trunk and the sycamore’s gnarled roots, and his brother asked, "Where’s all that in the picture?" "It’s not in the picture," he said. "For me to get what I want in the part of the tree that’s showing, I’ve got to know thoroughly how it is anchored in back of the house." I find that remarkable. He could draw the tree above the house with such authenticity because he knew exactly how the thing was in the ground.
When we know that we are anchored firmly in the providence of God, we can stand firm and solid. We might not go around broadcasting to everyone about the roots we have, but those roots are important if we ever hope to stand firm.
From a sermon by Larry Wise, How Do I Know Where To Go? 12/3/2009