The Vallotton Mural

'From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord's name is to be praised.' Psalm 113:3

We lived with a dreary concrete wall for many years, and I always dreamed of restoring the original stone. However, this proved impractical, and the only option (for me) was to paint it. What an opportunity to create a striking mural! The inspiration came from my memories of 'Praise the Lord!' from the illustrated Good News Bible, a wonderful line drawing by Annie Vallotton, the Swiss artist. Using a projector, I was able to reproduce the central figure, and the landscape emerged behind it as I worked. Sunrise was vital - Matines referring to our position facing East - and the colours where chosen from the sky behind the house, the plants growing beneath and the light cream of the stone.

The mural has become a symbol for us of all that we believe and all that we hope for this place. The figure at once represents us, our own impulse to praise our amazing God, and at the same time, our risen Lord who prays with us over this beautiful valley. I love the fact that Vallotton's figure with outstretched arms seems to indicate the cross, and the outstretched arms of Jesus who died for us, yet at the same time, the all-encompassing arms of love of the Father, that are open to us all. We hope that the mural allows for individual response and interpretation.

I decided to add the verse in French along the hills of the mural after I encountered a group of local women, walking up the lane. They said they had come to see the mural and asked if they could take a photo. It seemed appropriate to add the verse as some kind of explanation of the image. Previously only the reference was written.

'Du lever du soleil jusqu'a son coucher, que le nom de l'Eternel soit loué'

It seems a logical step to use the figure from the mural in the logo for Matines House of Prayer.