"Beauty for Ashes" No. 3 - Joy After Mourning
18 x 24 inches / 20 x 30 inch framed
Mixed Media on paper; watercolour, charcoal and gold leaf
“Sorrow giving way to the return of joy.”
Part of my Beauty for Ashes collection, Joy After Mourning is an original mixed media artwork inspired by the promise of Isaiah 61:3—that God exchanges ashes for beauty, mourning for gladness, and despair for praise.
Joy rarely arrives all at once. More often, it begins quietly, growing little by little as the Lord restores what has been broken. Like blossoms opening after a long winter, His healing unfolds in seasons, replacing sorrow with renewed hope and unexpected delight.
Created with watercolor, charcoal, and genuine gold leaf, each medium tells part of the story. The charcoal represents ashes, grief, and the refining places every life encounters. The watercolor reflects surrender, fragility, and the gentle work of the Holy Spirit. The gold leaf speaks of redemption, reminding us that God faithfully restores beauty, dignity, and purpose through His presence.
The unfinished circle of gold surrounding the flowers symbolizes God’s eternal presence and His ongoing work of restoration. Even when joy seems distant, He is faithfully completing what He has begun. Every bloom becomes a reminder that mourning is not the final chapter for those who place their hope in Him.
Joy After Mourning is the third painting in the Beauty for Ashes series, where each flower represents a unique expression of God’s redeeming work. Though every story is different, they all proclaim the same truth: nothing surrendered to Christ is ever wasted. He is able to bring beauty from ashes and joy where sorrow once lived.
May this artwork remind you that God has not forgotten your tears. His promise is not simply that pain will end, but that He is able to transform it into a testimony of His faithfulness, bringing joy that is deeper because it has been shaped by His grace.
“To grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit…”
Isaiah 61:3 (ESV)
* NOTE: "Beauty for Ashes" collection is being sold as ORIGINAL ART only. If you would like to commission a specific flower, please request here.
Original artwork, watercolour, charcoal & gold leaf on paper. Adding a beautiful custom frame will give your new painting added elegance.
