This is an old shed door that was on our first property in Taranaki.  The door probably started its life as a front door of the original farm house of which is long gone.  The door has seen better days but it still has purpose.  The age and state of the door actually gives it character.  This is a symbolic nod to people in our lives who are aging.  Outwardly they are showing the effects of the years they have lived, but they are still valued and have purpose.  They all have their own unique stories and some of them are real characters!  This is also a look at the effects of time.  Everything was once new, and through time all things decay.  So, the lesson would be to not hold too tightly to ‘stuff’.  Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-24).

‘Aged with Character’ story continued……..

This painting now has its own story.  I collected it from an art show that I had exhibited it in.  I had it stacked in the back of my car with some other paintings and I started to unload the car when I got home.  Just as I opened the back of the car, our dog Buddy ran down stairs and jumped into the car and onto the painting…. and ripped a hole in it near the top.  After watching a ‘you tube’ tutorial, I fixed the hole myself and touched up the paint.  So now we have a painting of a damage door, that has had its own damage and evidence of repair.  When we look at it, we will be able to recall the story of how it got damaged.  The strange thing is that because of the damage, the painting now holds more sentimental value for us as a family as we remember our time with Buddy as a very excitable young dog.