Century Celebration "Passion" Flower Festival

By paintingforlife | July 11, 2008 |

The Church of Our Lady in Fleet, Hampshire, England just reached its centenary in June of 2008. To commemorate this grand occasion they held a Flower Festival that uniquely depicts the life of Christ.

I was greatly honored to have my painting, “The Passion Flower” selected to mark such a special occasion, half a world away, with it’s use of my piece on posters, leaflets, invitations, flyers and programmes.

“The Passion Flower” by Cherish Flieder

Painted on an Easter Sunday, God inspired me with this image that illustrates, in an ethereal way, the spiritual beauty that comes only through suffering. My desire was to juxtapose the classic symbol of the “passion” flower (as established by Spanish monks while exploring the New World) and the piercing crown of thorns in the background to fully realize a symbol of Christ’s identity, suffering and His reward in exchange for the ultimate life-giving sacrifice on the cross. With this act, not only did He take on our sins to give us true life, but He also comforts and promises us to bring this rare beauty to our hearts when we experience sufferings of many kinds.

Flower Festival Photos

Church of Our Lady, Fleet, Hampshire, England