Pay it Forward

My caring and auto-savvy bishop kindly posed as a man whose car breaks down on a country road on the way to an appointment, and he has no idea how to fix it or what to do.
An old pickup truck drove by, and the driver stopped to help the man. I found the model for this by who owned this great old bronze pickup truck.
When the car was fixed, the man offered to pay the mechanic for his services, but the stranger kindly refused. He told him instead to go and help another person, and to pass it on.

Thanks Neal and Bishop for posing. You did great!

A Boy and His Dog

This story is simply about a dog greeting a boy as he comes home from college, and how pets can be a part of the family. I felt that about my dog Butch as I grew up--sometimes he was the only person I could confide in! I had two days to produce this painting due to a mix-up, but I was glad it turned out okay. Thanks Barbara and Ethan for your quick response!

Metro Music

A writer for the Washington Post decided to conduct an experiment. He asked Joshua Bell, one of the world's most famous violinists, to play for 45 minutes in a subway station in Washington, D. C. During that time, only seven people stopped to listen. What else are we missing?

Serendipity--A Boy, a Father, and a Treehouse

The story behind this picture is basically that the boy having an opportunity to plan and build a project with his dad was more meaningful than the end product. I absolutely had to use my son for this one, since he's been begging me for a treehouse, even though we don't even have a tree!

Joshua 4--Eben-Ezer

When Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land after 40 years of traveling in the wilderness, he asked them to gather together 12 stones to build a monument. That way, their children could look at it and be reminded of the miracles God had given them, or it would prompt a discussion with their parents, asking why it was there. To me, this is why I blog--so that my children can know the great miracles that God performed in behalf of my family.

My models were so sweet--Mark and Ann and their boys--one of whom played an old woman! And Rolf and Sally and Steve. Thanks for all getting together in Bible garb and hauling stones for me!

Alice and the Caterpillar

I was so excited to have the opportunity to paint Alice! The week I moved to this house, I met a girl named Aiden, who was so cute I knew I'd have to find an opportunity to paint her sometime. She reminded me of Alice in Wonderland any time she wore a headband in her hair. So five years later, I finally got to use her as Alice. She was perfect! My children and husband were all excited about this illustration too. So much, in fact, that I was afraid it wouldn't live up to everyone's expectations. I was nervous to paint it for fear of ruining it. Hopefully I was able to rise to the challenge. I am pleased with the end result.

The Boomerang Principle

I got to illustrate an Aesop's Fable! This is the Ant and the Dove. An ant falls in a fountain and is drowning, when a dove sees his plight and drops a leaf down for the ant to climb on and save himself. The ant then saves the dove by biting a hunter who is about to catch the dove, causing him to drop his net.
I was delighted to illustrate this one. I wanted to try it from a fun perspective--from up high, instead of eye level. I was able to design the leaves and branches, with the sweeping curve of the fountain and the branches encircling the ant on the single leaf in the middle. I was also happy to be able to use the children's book style with thick ink lines surrounding realistic shading and coloring, similar to what I used on the Emperor's New Clothes paintings.Many thanks to Emmanuel for posing as the hunter for this shot!

Michelangelo's Masterpiece

I was not aware of this, but apparently Michelangelo's "David" was sculpted when Michelangelo was 26 out of a piece of scrap marble that someone had already tried to carve.
I used the same model for Michelangelo that I did last summer when I sketched him painting the Sistine Chapel.
Now my kids see the "David" statue on TV or in a magazine and say, "Look, Mommy, I saw your painting!"

The Good in Goodbye

This was a very sensitive topic to illustrate--the West Virginia coal mine collapse in 2006. Martin Toler (in the yellow) wrote a comforting goodbye note to his family on the back of an insurance form before he died. Thank you to all those who were able to make it to the photo shoot for this! I was only able to find four models, one of them being my husband, so I repeated one model twice--see if you can tell which one he is!

This was a challenge to paint in watercolor, since my color scheme is usually light and colorful, and this was dark (coal mines are usually black) and gloomy. I was pleased I was able to pull it off and still preserve some color.

All Is Well, Patience Loader and her father James Loader

I painted this to accompany a story of a pioneer, James Loader, who never made it to Zion, but helped his family on the way so that they would make it there without him. This story was told by his daughter, Patience Loader. Thanks tons to Eric, Heather and Erica for modeling, and to Gordon and Linda for letting us photograph your authentic handcart!

Kim in Maine

This is an illustration of a woman who chose to spend a summer on her own on an island off the coast of Maine, in a rustic old cabin, collecting rainwater for drinking and using propane for heat. I used my friend and neighbor Kim as a model, because, besides being lovely, she also strives to be self-sufficient in all she does. Thank you, Kim!

Turning Points

I was so grateful to the King family for allowing me to photograph them for this painting. The Spoken Word message talked about a man who had been diagnosed with a grave illness, but it became a turning point in his life for the good, and how he learned to cope by relying on his faith, his friends, and his family. Matt King was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer a few months ago, and has a very poor prognosis. Yet, his family has grown closer, and I felt such a spirit of peace and acceptance when I entered their home. They all know their father probably won't be with them much longer, but they know where he's going, and that he'll be waiting for them to return and be with him. And I believe they also feel that they'll be okay without him for a while, as they stay here on earth. My yoga teacher told me the other day that her brother was best friends with Matt King before he died in a car crash five years ago. When she learned of Matt's terminal illness, she cried and asked him how he was doing. "I'm doing fine, really. I'm looking forward to hanging out with your brother again!"

I was grateful I had the opportunity to paint the family all together, while there was still an opportunity in this mortal life.

The Bridge Builder

This is a portrait of Will Allen Dromgoole. Yes, she is a woman. She wrote a poem called "The Bridge Builder" which reminds us of our responsibilities to younger generations.

Poppies!

This piece always reminds me of the Wizard of Oz--"Poppies! Millions of poppies!" Thanks to the Lott family for finding time in their schedule to model while climbing the Reher's front yard hill. It wasn't covered with poppies, but that's why I'm a painter, not a photographer. Can you see the tiny butterfly Lacie is pointing at?

Our Nation's Heroes

This painting was featured on the Memorial Day broadcast. This WWI flying ace is David Endecott Putnam, a youth who became one of the most successful plane fighters of the war. He has been remembered in letters he sent home to his mother, which were always upbeat and encouraging. He stated that if he were to die, he'd be called home happily when it was his time. His time came before the end of the war, when he was in the process of rescuing another American fighter plane. I was glad I was able to find a picture of him smiling.

"I Know My Father Lives"

Reid Nibley struggled as he wrote the song, "I Know My Father Lives." He kept trying to complicate and embellish the piece. I had similar trouble with this piece. I drew it from several different views of Bro. Nibley, with varying backgrounds, and I just kept getting more and more frustrated, until I literally screamed! It just wasn't working! It was only when I erased it all and went to the simplest way--taking a picture of my husband sitting at the piano, then varying the facial features slightly to resemble Reid Nibley--that it worked out at all. I kept the background so simple that it was unnecessary to include in this print. Ironically, that's the same thing that happened with the song. Once Reid erased all the extra notes, it came out in its true form, which was the simple way we sing it today.

A True Pioneer Mother

Jane James, a pioneer woman, lost her husband one frigid, awful day as she and her family were crossing the plains. After they buried him, her daughter recorded in her journal how, despite her heart being broken, she loaded up the children and kept moving towards Zion. It is always painful to hear stories such as these, or like the one President Monson related during conference. I'm glad I have not been called upon to endure such horrible sacrifices in mortality, but I see people all around me whose loved ones have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses, or who die in accidents, and must continue on and be an example to their children. Yet I know we all receive blessings of rest in the next life, and that families can be together forever.

Thanks to my dear friends Christine (and Scott who posed but was eventually cut due to budget), Jessica (who jumped in at the last minute to be a pioneer girl), Kaiden and McKinley!

My Grandma

I was so glad to have the opportunity to paint my sweet grandma for this week's Spoken Word! It was about interviewing the ancestors who are still living as part of your family history research. I have felt strongly about this with my grandmother, and I spent a lot of time with her a few years ago, while she was still so talkative that we sometimes wished we could get her to stop. She repeated the same stories over and over, so you could recite them word for word while you listened. I'm glad she pounded them in our heads then, because now she doesn't speak. She doesn't know who we are or where she is. I am so grateful that I know the stories of her life that are the most important to her, and need to write them down so that others will know them as well.

For this painting, although the room, the chair, and my niece Megan were all photographed on location, I had to find older photos of my grandma actually interacting, smiling, raising a hand, etc. Nowadays she just sits.

I love and miss my grandma. I hope she's happy inside her mind.

Our Spirits Must Catch Up With Our Bodies

This was a painting for the Easter message of Music and the Spoken Word this year. I thought it sort of odd subject matter at first. A man was on tour of the Amazon jungle with some natives as guides. They traveled well for two days, but on the morning of the third day, he found them all sitting or squatting, holding still with solemn expressions. The chief explained that they were waiting for their spirits to catch up with their bodies. If you think carefully about Christ's crucifixion, and what happened with him on the morning of the third day, you'll make a connection, even though it was never mentioned in the Spoken Word.

Prodigal Son, or Coming Home Again

I was delighted to be asked to paint an illustration for the Spoken Word right before Conference! This was a neat opportunity. Thanks so much to Anya for once again coming through with great costumes, and to Lamar and Martin for posing in the "Bible clothes" and "Jesus shoes" and standing barefoot on gravel while staring into the sun. I enjoyed working on folds of cloth, and on stonework in the background. I worked more on composing the whole shot on this one than I have on many in the past. I wanted to give the composition more of a dynamic feel, both with the positive and negative space.

Car Crash in the Snow

I know this cop in my neighborhood, and his family was available to pose impromptu as well for this picture. Thanks a lot to the Winds, and to Randi for bringing her Hummer and acting the part of the irresponsible driver. She's really actually very responsible, and would never crash her Hummer into a car head on.

It snowed the day before I took the picture, and it snowed several times after I took the picture. When we got together for the photo shoot, though, all the snow was melted, and the sun was blinding. It made it a little harder to paint the feel of blizzard and chill. I think it worked out okay though. What do you think?

"Myself" in the mirror

Thank you to Stophiann for posing for me! It's hard to find black models, and she's one of the most beautiful models I could get of any race. I was very excited to paint darker skin. I love how browner skin has blue and purple undertones. Paler skin has more greenish undertones. No wonder black is beautiful!

Henry J. Kaiser

Although I don't usually enjoy painting cars, ships, or buildings, I thought these cars, the Henry J. and the Kaiser, looked pretty cool, and I'm glad they don't look terrible in my rendering. I also got to learn a bit about Kaiser. I wish sometimes that I had his confidence. He made quite a success of himself, despite a lot of challenges.

Living Within Our Means

Thanks so much to Matt and Val for volunteering so quickly for this painting. I sent out an email to a few couples, and they responded enthusiastically within 1/2 hour! They're great models, and even let me paint their beautiful family room. Their daughter has modeled for Kit Kittredge, painted by Walter Rane, so this is small potatoes compared to that, but I still really appreciate it!

Angry Brothers

Thank you to the two brothers, Mike and Matt, who worked around their very busy schedules to meet with me and let me take their picture. This is an illustration of two brothers who lived in a one-room cabin and had an argument. One drew a chalk line on the floor, and they agreed to stay on their separate sides of the house. They never spoke to each other again after that, until the death of one brother 62 years later! Can you imagine being so idiotic? I'm sure glad Mike and Matt have a great sense of humor to allow me to paint them so angry at each other. They are actually great friends.

The Lincolns Relax at the Theater

Although this is Ford's Theater, I did not paint the president and his wife on a date with disaster--this is just a date, an evening when they could unwind, enjoy the performance, and rest from their cares of being head of state in a country in turmoil. I ache for the president, both then and now, for having to try to solve all the country's, and sometimes the world's, problems, and I think they deserve a break every once in a while.

He's Got The Whole World In His Hands

I was hoping that, despite my limitations, this painting would still convey the hope, the bonding, the strength, and the support these men gained from singing spirituals about their Lord together, despite the desperate and demeaning situation they lived in.

I don't know enough black men to have painted this one by setting up live models. I really don't even know one. So, I had to compile this painting using a campfire and a few people sitting around it from the internet. I checked out books about black people from the internet and connected them to the bodies I had, and added a few more around the campfire, then changed their clothing and lighting to match the scene. It had to be a looser style to accommodate all the changes and imprecise scrap, plus, I wanted to have it a little looser to show the energy of the men singing the spirituals. I didn't feel it was my best work, yet I've received compliments on this piece, some saying that this is a "notch above" my other paintings. Wow, thanks! I was hoping that, despite my limitations, it would still convey the hope, the bonding, the strength, and the support these men gained from singing spirituals about their Lord together, despite the desparate and demeaning situation they lived in.

A Good Dose of Humor

I needed a couple who had been married for years and who shared a lot of jokes together for this painting. I instantly thought of my aunt and uncle. Although they haven't spent their whole lives together, having only found each other about eight years ago, they are the perfect couple, and they are always cheerful, despite all the crazy stuff life throws at them. Plus, they are my biggest fan club. Whenever my paintings come on TV, they cheer and clap! I was very happy to paint them.

Uganda

I was asked to paint a story that happened in Uganda. I have some old friends who are serving a mission right now in Uganda, currently in the Congolese area. They took picture after picture of the people they served, and I was astounded how beautiful they are. I don't think I did them justice--I will have to keep trying.

In this story, some American businessmen build a children's facility for the Ugandan people. They have to run to the store for some handsaws. In Uganda, the foreigners are called "Mazungu," and it was common practice to overcharge them at the shops because they didn't know any better. This shopkeeper, however, told the men, “I see with my eyes a mazungu, but in my heart, that’s not what I see,” and she charged them a fair price.

Silas Marner's Second Chance

These two paintings are about Silas Marner, the main character of a novel by that name by George Eliot, who was actually a woman writer, if you weren't aware, which I'm sure you were.

Anyway, it is about his second chance at life. The first is a painting depicting his love of gold, because it was his only friend after feeling abandoned and alone from humanity. After it is stolen, he goes into a deep depression.

The second painting is when little Eppie comes into his life, with her golden hair reminding him of his gold coins that he loved. He eventually turns around and loves another person again.

I was so grateful to my friend Trilea for letting me use her daughter for Eppie--isn't she beautiful? And her grandpa got to be Silas. He actually played Johannes Brahms over a year ago for my charcoal drawings--did you recognize him?