God’s Steadfast Love (Psalm 107:1)

How do you depict the ongoing, unchanging steadfast love of God without being overwhelmed with hearts?

That was my challenge this month. I’m not typically a girly-girl who loves all things pink and romance. In fact, I think the only pink clothing I own is maybe one pair of socks. And absolutely nothing with hearts on it! 😂

But it’s February, and our #LetterforHisGlory challenge this month is all about God’s love. Because that’s something that’s relevant for all of us, no matter what your age or marital status or season of life! And the verse I wanted to letter was Psalm 107:1 – “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

So, how to convey the idea of love that continues endlessly…

I’ve recently learned about creating repeating surface patterns (think about the sort of patterns you find on fabrics, wallpaper, or scrapbook paper), and wanted to create one for this theme of God’s eternal love. I saw a similar idea from another artist with the checkerboard pattern, and loved the cozy farmhouse vibe it gave off. I thought it might give a feeling of safety and comfort when paired with this verse.

Next, I decided on the color scheme. I’m always drawn to blue this time of year, probably because we have a stunning blue & white landscape in Wyoming right now. But I also like playing with soft blue as a contrast to all the sappy pinks and reds we see around Valentine’s Day. It’s a universal color of peace and tranquility and steadfastness, a calming color that says everything’s going to be okay and you are safe and secure. What better choice to reflect God’s steadfast love toward us?!

For some contrast — and to emphasize the idea of ongoing, repeating, never changing love — I added tiny hearts in some of the boxes, choosing a few contrasting shades of red and coral to brighten up the overall piece.

Finally, I worked on adding the text. With a busy background, it needed some sort of ‘shadow box’ to make it stand out, so I added that first in a neutral shade. Then I lettered the key phrase of the verse, simplifying it with a monoline style of lettering and pulling the blue to tie everything together. I highlighted the word ‘love’ with a standout calligraphy style and a brighter pink color, since it’s the focus of the whole thing.

What do you think – does it convey the overall meaning of the verse?

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PS. You can find this design on Patreon as a background for your phone, tablet, and computer. Sponsor my art ministry for $5 a month, and get a fresh set (or two) of backgrounds every month! Learn more here.

PPS. Find more of my recent patterns (including this one!) on a variety of fun products here.