A Cross Through a Window . . .

After several days in the bustling city of Florence, we decided to head out into the Tuscan countryside and do a little sight-seeing.  Besides, my 17 year old son had seen enough Renaissance Art to last two lifetimes and I had to bribe him with a little field trip.  But first, one more shot of Florence . . .

Other than the Uffizzi Tower growing out of the top of my head--not a bad family shot!  My daughter was in classes that day and had to stay behind in the city but she was loving her study abroad program too much to miss us!

The famous and picturesque Ponte Vecchio bridge and River Arno . . .

. . . and the lovely Duomo one last time from across the River.  Did I mention I LOVE the Duomo (hehe)???

Oh, I could just stay here for months.  But as promised, a little trip to the countryside and our first stop was the darling fortress town of San Gimignano . . .  It was a quaint little town that could be walked in 30 minutes, full of charm and a little touristy but sometimes you need a little of the kitschy with the culture, no?

I wandered around all morning with my camera looking for good snapshots of things I could paint when I returned to the States.  The architecture was lovely, but I was looking for a pop of color amidst all the stone buildings and walkways. As I turned a corner into a lovely little piazza, I snapped this shot . . .

 Interesting wall of windows.  Hmmm, I can always paint the truck out of the pic, but a little boring.  I decided to zoom in a little and maybe focus on a couple of windows.  I love the idea of an open window.  To me it represents possibilities.  You know, "when God closes a door, he always opens a window."  An open window is also a metaphor for a glimpse into one's house, or soul.  Yes, I believe I will paint an open window.  So, I zoomed in . . .

A bit better, but still I am not feeling the whole "window" effect.  Besides, when I paint this, my focal point will be the lovely red flowers in the window box so I'll need a better shot of those . . .

















Holy Cow!  When I zoomed in, I couldn't believe what I saw in the window directly above the door.

Look inside.  There it is, the possibility that God is giving me--the window He left open.  In my search for art, I found something much more important.  It was a gift, a truth.  I need look no further than into the window to my soul where I will find Him waiting there for me.  Serendipity at its finest!