After the Storm

Day 4 – Made to Matter: 13 Soulful Stories from the Studio

Some skies tell stories before we even lift a brush.
The sky in this painting was one of them.

This was the first piece I created in my large art journal. A storm at sea, pulled from memory and emotion. Painted in acrylics with my new brushes, the colors swirled in deep, moody tones—clouds thick with feeling, water stirred but not wild. And just beneath it all, a small break in the clouds where the sun begins to peek through.

This was the inspiration photo for my painting … source (Pinterest)

That light—soft, golden, barely there—was everything.

I’ve always loved the skies after a storm, especially near the water.
There’s something about the tension easing… the drama retreating.
A kind of sacred hush follows, like nature exhaling.

I didn’t plan this painting. I simply let the emotion guide the palette—indigo, slate gray, bruised lavender, a hint of copper. My brush followed what my heart already knew: the storm may not be over, but the light is already returning.

I realized something else while painting: I gravitate toward moody tones.
Maybe I’m a moody gal, after all.
But there’s beauty in that, too.

Because moody doesn’t mean broken. It means complex. Felt. Honest.

This piece holds both the storm and the peace that follows.
It became a prayer on canvas—wordless, raw, and full of hope.

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
— Psalm 61:2 (NKJV)

“You don’t have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you.”
— Dan Millman

A Thought to Carry:

What is the storm in you softening, clearing, or preparing you for?
Let the light in—even if it’s just a sliver.