'Whatsoever Things are Lovely'
A pastel painting of a phalaenopsis orchid from Ellen as a reminder of focusing on things that are lovely

'Whatsoever Things are Lovely'
20" x 20" chalk pastel on acid-free cotton ragboard
Original sold
Archival giclee prints available

'Whatsoever Things are Lovely'​
by Ellen Rice

I painted these orchids as a reminder of one of my favorite verses in the Bible. If you ever walked in my living room or saw the surround of my upstairs bathtub where there's a skylight, you would see phalaenopsis orchids in various stages of bloom all around. They help me focus on the positive no matter what else is going on.

I used to make my mother-in-law chuckle. "Only you," she said with a big smile one day when she arrived at my family's new house to help me unpack. Boxes were strewn everywhere, but in the middle of all the chaos, sitting on the freshly polished coffee table was a vase filled with cut flowers. 

There are many things that remind me that there is a universal intelligence behind every form of life on the planet. Study one bloom of almost any type of flower and you'll see it. With the orchids there are often intricate patterns repeated on every blossom. I look and see rivers and streams of magenta on a white background, a tiger's face in the center of the bloom. Have you noticed it?  No matter the designs I find, studying "the lovely" blooms and other forms of nature, the wings of dragonflies, butterflies and so much else, brings me peace.

And that is what the Bible verse in Philippians promises:

​Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report,
if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things.

Those things which ye have both learned and received
and heard and seen in me, do;
and the God of peace shall be with you.

~ Philippeans 4:8

​I wish you peace.

Note: To avoid confusion, I should mention that the 8th painting in my Strength of Woman series will also be based on this verse and is named the same. Hopefully, after many interruptions from painting it, it will be out soon.