Experiencing the creation as it is, this morning and every day, cannot be done without the word “glory” crowding in. Glory is everywhere in little things and big. It is the glory of God, the exquisite Creator in things big and small. For me glory to God painting starts with Durer’s big clump of weeds in Vienna and the sonnet reflects this. I think it was the first Creation sonnet I did. Millions of people especially on holiday take millions of photos of the creation when it looks especially awesome and we see them everyday. This painting is like them, Achmelvich again, on the longest day with a seal swimming lazily by looking at us, and the Creator showing off a bit. The heavens are telling the glory of God.

NO SIGNATURE
God, without paintbrush, come and paint the year,
Big canvas, never framed, and always here.
You take your time, build slowly, sort light dark,
Prepare the ground, earth wet, keep contrasts stark.
Start with dark twigs, drip wet with diamond snow
Or prick dot milky way on indigo.
Perhaps you need red tulip, hearted black
Before white wedding hedgerow, blue eggs crack.
Keep colours hidden fresh in little seeds.
Like Dürer, make a masterpiece of weeds.
My mother’s lily and my father’s rose,
like summer bombs, cool, livid love expose.
Time ochres, kharkis, russets grass and trees.
We view the final glory on our knees.