LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Fine Art

The Desire to Paint the Savior

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Growing up, I was surrounded by creativity and love of the beauty in the world. My dad was a concert violinist, a writer, and an inventor. My mom sang hymns, gardened, and created beautiful quilts. Both were art appreciators. They spoke often of works of art that inspired them.

My mom had traveled to Europe and talked about her experience seeing the works of Michelangelo and da Vinci. Stories of her travels led me to study works of art from these masters who demonstrated devotion to God in their work, which caused me to seek out other artists like Carl Bloch and more modern contemporary artists like Harry Anderson and Greg Olsen. Being in a home surrounded by beautiful paintings of Christ guided my journey to want to do the same.

Preparing to Paint the Divine

The desire to paint Christ came very early in my life; however, the application of this was and still is very intimidating. Of all the subjects I paint, this is the one that requires the most meditation, study, personal reflection, and help from Above. I find that when I am working on a painting of a spiritual nature, but especially one that includes an image of the Savior, it is very important how I prepare myself for the task.

This starts with prayer, then leads to scripture study, which is often tied to the theme of the piece, and then I journal my ideas and impressions. I am also affected by what I listen to while I paint. I will listen to conference talks, hymns, classical music, or uplifting podcasts to help with the mood as I work. I pray for the Spirit to be present while I work so that the viewer feels the same spirit while appreciating the finished work.

Searching for References

The first time I attempted to paint a depiction of Christ, I prayed earnestly to find a model to photograph as a reference. I searched for someone with kindness in his eyes and the love of the Savior in his countenance. I was blessed to find a model who exhibited both attributes, and he was wonderful to work with. I would explain what I needed during our photo shoot, and his expression would become contemplative. The feeling of trying to bring the Spirit for both of us was there.

I prepare myself personally as I plan to paint a representation of the Savior; models and actors do the same when they are trying to represent Him as well. It’s a daunting task for both of us, but I believe God sees our efforts and magnifies them. I’ve definitely felt His hand helping me with what He wants me to accomplish. The challenge for me then is to bring that same spirit into the physical work of art.

Receiving Inspiration through Trials

I have had some of my most emotional paintings come to me during my darkest times. There are paintings and ideas that have come to me specifically because of what I am going through at the time. It helps me to know that God sees me and speaks to me through the gifts He has given me.

I know also that if I am feeling these things, others are as well, and my prayer and hope is to allow God to use me to speak to others who are struggling. My painting Our Mediator came during a challenging time in my life, and I felt so strongly that because of Jesus, I would be able to get through my trials because He would mediate for me. It was such a comforting feeling.

A painting of Christ.
Our Mediator by Jessica Michaelson

Coming Closer to Christ

When I am painting works of Jesus, I find that I search and ponder about His teachings more in my daily life. I am searching for what He said in the scriptures and for the deeper meanings behind His words. I find that I grow closer to Him through this process, and it not only helps me paint, but also shapes me as a person.

After losing my father unexpectedly, I thought about how Jesus had experienced loss. He lost His adopted father, Joseph, His cousin John, and for a time, His friend Lazarus. Knowing this led me to paint Acquainted with Grief, which illustrated the grief Jesus felt in the moment of losing a loved one. I felt closer to Him knowing that He knows what my grief feels like.

Acquainted with Grief by Jessica Michaelson

Honoring the Great Creator

God is the best example of being a perfect creator. What a wonderful example we have from Him of the joy of creation. He shows His love for us when He shares His creations with us. It is like admiring a sunset, knowing that it will disappear the next day, but that its beauty, while fleeting, is stunning.

God’s creations show us the love God has for us. They show us that He created everything and continues to create not just the world around us, but also the beauty in our lives amidst our trials and weaknesses. That’s what I see every day as He takes my weaknesses and makes them stronger in my attempts to use the talents He has given me to glorify my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jessica Michaelson

Jessica has been an artist as long as she can remember. Growing up, she would draw on walls and furniture and even went so far as to etch a picture in her bedroom door with a safety pin, much to the dismay of her parents. To save their home and their sanity, her parents enrolled her in private art lessons, and her love of art continued to blossom. Jessica found mentors and teachers in workshops from world-renowned artists.

Jessica teaches art in her home studio part-time to both adults and children. She enjoys sharing what she knows and works with her students in nearly every medium. Not only has teaching been fulfilling, but it has solidified what Jessica has learned through countless hours of study and practice as only teaching can.

In her continued art practice, she has found she enjoys working with an emphasis in portrait and figurative work, as well as works in nature. More recently, Jessica has been painting religious and spiritual work with a focus on painting Christ. Her religious work holds great meaning for her. Her works have been published in books and calendars and highlighted in gallery shows. You can learn more about her on her website.

    Val Bagley: Precious Things of Every Kind

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    Shortly after moving from our Utah home and settling near the Idaho/Wyoming border, I entered the Star Valley Temple with my husband and was greeted by a humble-looking man in a white suit, who scanned my recommend and welcomed me to the House of the Lord. I glanced at his tag and recognized his name right away.

    “Val Bagley?” I said. “The artist?”

    He gave me a small smile, said yes, and indicated which way I should go to find the changing room. The message was loving and clear—we were there to serve the Lord, not to chat about our outside lives or careers. Later, when my son served as a missionary in the temple, Brother Bagley was his shift leader, and continued to set a positive example of service and dedication to the task at hand. I did, however, have the chance to talk to him about his career on another day.

    In 1978, the New Era magazine featured a cartoon drawn by LDS artist Val Chadwick Bagley. It was the first of more than a thousand cartoons he would draw for both the New Era and the Friend over the next 46 years, beginning an unexpected career.

    “Pretty much most of my life, I’ve known what I wanted to do for a living,” he said on the occasion of his fortieth year in the industry. “I just didn’t know it would be drawing for the Church.”

    His very first piece of art to be recognized in a Church magazine was actually published in the Friend when he was seven years old, but he threw his copy of the magazine away because he felt he could do better.

    While serving as a missionary, he was assigned to be the mission public relations director, and he used his talents to fulfill this task. He drew pictures of visiting general authorities and illustrated the mission newsletter, and it was during this time that his first “official” drawing was accepted by the New Era, and he burst onto the scene.

    Whether or not you’re familiar with his name, his unique art style sets him apart and makes him immediately recognizable. His characters have a youthful look—wide eyes, rounded angles, and stylized hands and feet. Those characters point out some of the gentle humor to be found in our church—always appropriate to the moment, never mocking, but recognizing that we do have funny moments as a people and celebrating that humor through art.

    “My cartoons may be gospel-related, but they don’t have anything really to do with the gospel itself,” he shared. “For the most part, my cartoons are about people living the gospel, not the actual teachings themselves. I already know the New Era would never print a cartoon that made light of sacred things, which I wouldn’t draw anyway.”

    Although starting as a magazine cartoonist, Val has since published several children’s picture books on a wide variety of topics, and also card games for LDS families. He does all this from a studio set in the peaked-roof attic of his house in Wyoming, where I was privileged to visit about a year ago with my family. The walls and the ceiling are covered with pieces of his original art, both published and some in various draft stages. His drawing table faces a window that looks to the east toward the mountains; not only a source of light for his work, but inspiration for his art. His home is just as bright and cheerful as his cartoons, decorated in a vintage fifties’-era style that’s both whimsical and inviting, exactly the sort of home you’d imagine an artist to have.  

    He has achieved success in his chosen field now, but after returning from his mission, he struggled to know if art—particularly cartooning—was the path he should pursue. He attempted college, but they weren’t teaching the things he wanted to learn, and his instructors encouraged him to give up and turn his attention to “serious art.” One day, while reading the Book of Mormon in the temple waiting room, he opened to Helaman 12:2:

    Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art . . .

    The word “art” stood out to him, and he recognized that yes, there was a place for him and his unique talent. He had been drawing labels for cheese, but with this newfound conviction about his purpose, he approached Covenant Communications with the illustrations for a coloring book, which was published in 1992, and he continues to publish with them to this day.

    I asked Brother Bagley what advice he would offer to artists hoping to break into the field. He laughed and said that he’s still trying to make it big himself and could use a little advice as well, but he offered the following tips:

    • Practice, practice, practice. “Although I’ve always loved to draw cartoons, it took years and years of practice,” he said. “I would copy other cartoons that I liked and admired (Snoopy, mostly) until I developed my own drawing style.”
    • Draw consistently. “I kept four cartoon journals on my mission (one for every six months), and that is when I really refined my drawing style.”
    • Discover your intention. “I’ve never been a ‘doodler.’ I draw with purpose. My cartoons usually are telling a story or mean something. I don’t just draw to draw.”
    • Keep going despite rejection. “I’ve illustrated/written over 100 books which have sold over 1,000,000 copies, but I still get rejected 75% of the time.”

    My biggest takeaway from my time spent with Brother Bagley is the importance of seeking the Lord’s partnership whenever we undertake a piece of art meant to glorify Him or teach others about Him. Val Bagley is a humble man who speaks often of prayer as part of his creation process, and truly, when we do things in the way the Lord would have us do them, we can’t help but inspire those around us.

    A headshot of Tristi Pinkston.

    Tristi Pinkston

    Tristi Pinkston is the mother of four, the wife of one, the author of one hundred and seventy-five, and the editor of oodles. She serves as the chairman of the board for the Bear Lake Arts Council and participates enthusiastically (if not with utmost skill) in their theatrical productions. She is currently the editor-in-chief for the resource library here on the LDSPMA website. You can learn more about her on her website.

      Top “Quali-tee”: Launching a T-Shirt Design and Printing Business

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      Alexa and Eric Allred are the dynamic duo behind the hip and successful Gem Rose Design Company. As a stay-at-home mother, Alexa found herself with spare time during her children’s preschool hours. She decided to use this opportunity to learn how to make personalized T-shirts for her young family. Meanwhile, her husband, Eric, began refining his art and design skills—a passion he’d developed in college but temporarily stowed away to focus on fatherhood and a demanding career in marketing. With Alexa’s eye for detail and Eric’s artistic skills, they now run a well-oiled machine. However, their journey has not been without challenges. Through years of trial and error, they learned valuable lessons they now share with creators looking to start a T-shirt design business of their own. 

      Alexa and Eric Allred

      Hone Your Digital Design Skills

      Eric transitioned from traditional markers and paper to digital graphics using the Procreate app on an iPad, teaching himself to use the program through online tutorials and YouTubevideos. Procreate uses natural media simulation, like painting with a standard paintbrush, to create pixel-based art. This step-by-step approach helped him make a smooth transition to digital design. 

      For higher-resolution designs, Eric made the switch to vector-based graphics. Vector images can be blown up without losing quality, making them ideal for signage, logos, and T-shirt design. Vector-based art involves manipulating points and curves instead of freehand sketching. He began using a limited vector software called Vectornator (now Linearity), then moved to Adobe Illustrator. To help make the switch from traditional brushstrokes to vector shapes and lines, Eric challenged himself to copy standard designs and logos to create graphics that remain sharp on any scale. 

      Understand which files to use when saving your designs. PNG files are raster files made up of pixels. They maintain high resolution while supporting transparent backgrounds, but enlarging them can stretch and blur the image. JPEG files are also pixel-based. They are often used for images on websites and digital platforms but lack the transparency feature crucial for T-shirt printing. The image will usually print on a white square background. Lastly, SVG files are preferable for T-shirt designs, as their vector-based nature means they can be enlarged without the blocky appearance of pixelated images.

      Choose a Method to Transfer Your Image

      Vinyl: Alexa began by using a Silhouette electronic vinyl cutter to create simple designs. However, cutting and weeding (removing extra material from negative spaces) was time-consuming and impractical when fulfilling large orders.

      Heat Press: heat press transfers use a thin, paint-like medium printed onto transfer paper. The flexible material melds onto the shirt upon application via heat and pressure. However, this method requires bulk orders with a minimum quantity of shirts featuring the same design to keep costs manageable.

      Sublimation: sublimation printing offers an option that doesn’t require a minimum print run. The technique involves transferring ink onto a film that remains wet until pressed onto the shirt, resulting in a vibrant and durable design. This process is limited to 100% polyester fabric, and the T-shirt must be white or light-colored.  

      DTF: Direct-to-film printing allows for more fabric and color options. Ink is printed onto a film material coated with powder and baked, creating a protected layer pressed onto the shirt. Many different designs can be printed on a single gang sheet, a long roll of film priced based on the square inch. Alexa has found this method to be ideal.

      Devise a Marketing Plan

      Alexa first began selling T-shirts at craft fairs, where she prepared thirty designs, including seasonal/holiday themes and year-round options. She brought her heat press, along with a selection of blank shirts of various sizes. Attendees could browse the designs, choose their favorite, and select a shirt color from the available options. She would then press the design onto the shirt. While a good portion of the shirts remained unsold, selling at craft fairs helped her gain visibility in the community. Handing out business cards and engaging with attendees allowed her to spread the word about the business. 

      Additionally, personal connections played a significant role in their marketing efforts. Through word of mouth, particularly from friends, family, and acquaintances, they attracted a steady stream of custom orders. Many of these orders came from people they knew through various aspects of life, such as sports teams, dance studios, or educators. Eventually, their customer base expanded beyond personal connections.

      They now advertise their designs on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. They use a “drop” marketing technique, offering specific designs for a limited time. For instance, during their “Easter drop,” they provided various Easter/spring-themed designs. To order, customers left a comment under the picture of their preferred shirt and design combination. Customers who purchase a T-shirt during a drop must place their order within the week. This method allows the company to place one big supply order and finish all the T-shirts by a specific date.

      Provide Exceptional Customer Service

      Eric and Alexa work closely with clients to customize designs. This process often involves adjusting colors, sizes, or other elements to match the customer’s vision. For instance, team events frequently require custom logos or artwork to represent their theme. They collaborate with the customer to gather details about their requirements, such as preferred colors, imagery, or quotes, and incorporate the elements into the design. Then they share the design with the customer for feedback, making revisions until they are satisfied. Customers can also choose a premade digital design from online sellers. They most often purchase from Etsy, but several other platforms offer artwork in PNG or SVG files. 

      Always communicate with the customer if there are delays or other issues with their order. Explain the situation without making excuses and present solutions to fix problems quickly. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and professionalism. Be approachable, flexible, and consistent in your services. Establishing trust with customers will encourage repeat orders and boost business prospects. 

      Look for Opportunities to Use Your Talents to Bless Others

      Following the tragic loss of a young boy in their town, Eric and Alexa offered their services to design a few shirts for a fundraiser to raise money for the boy’s family. They initially expected to produce around 200 shirts but ended up creating over 800 and raising over $13,000. The experience reminded them that designing T-shirts is more than a hobby or business venture—it has the power to make a meaningful impact on the community.

      Help others on their journeys. While it may seem counterintuitive to share hard-earned knowledge, they are happy to help when people seek advice and believe there’s room for everyone to be successful. 

      Eric and Alexa find joy in working together and bonding over their projects. They love knowing their designs have made a difference in people’s lives, take pride in seeing them in the wild, and aim to inspire others who want to cultivate their creative gifts.

      Headshot of Kami Pehrson.

      Kami Pehrson

      Kami Pehrson lives with her husband and five teenage children in Stansbury Park, Utah. She recently finished her master’s degree in English and creative writing and has written three novels—but is still trying to figure out what to do with them. She loves editing, reading, and playing word games on her phone. She also enjoys listening to audiobooks while half-heartedly doing Pilates in the living room.

            Basic Whittling Techniques

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            Whittling vs. Woodcarving

            Both whittling and woodcarving are distinct art forms in which the finished product is made of wood. Whittling requires a small, sharp blade and a piece of softwood. Woodcarving includes the whole universe of wood creations and incorporates various hand tools like gouges, skews, and chisels. Artists might also opt for rotating, handheld power tools with changeable burrs and a vacuum system to remove dust. Power carving tools work best with hardwoods like cherry, walnut, oak, and ebony.

            Tools and Supplies

            Many pocketknives come with a sheepsfoot blade that has a straight edge and a back that curves down to the tip. However, these knives can be difficult to hold while whittling and often are not strong enough to sustain a sharp edge. Whittling knives have longer, rounded handles for better control and fixed blades that retain their sharpness. I use a bench knife—those come in several shapes and sizes. You might wish to use a thumb guard to ensure you don’t cut yourself while carving. Carving gloves may also be helpful for beginners. Last, you will need a sharpening stone and leather strop to keep the blade honed.

            Types of Wood

            Whittling requires dry, soft, and even-grained wood like white pine, sugar pine, basswood, or aspen. Extremely soft woods such as balsa or tupelo can collapse under pressure from the blade. Also, they don’t take detail well and tend to fuzz when sanded. I prefer basswood, though I have whittled with random pieces of wood from crates, pallets, and tree branches. Avoid using green, uncured wood, which can warp or crack when drying. Basswood blanks are available from online suppliers, local cabinet shops, and stores specializing in woodworking supplies.

            Planning and Design

            Whittling Christmas ornaments and other decorations can be a fun and relaxing activity. Start with a small piece of wood about three to five inches long, and visualize your desired result. The design possibilities are endless. Woodworkers can carve anything from Santa Claus to bells, whistles, chains, sleighs, balls in cages, elves, animals, teddy bears, etc. You can find ideas in catalogs, on Pinterest, or in woodcarving magazines. Begin by using a pencil to mark the approximate size and dimensions of your design. Remove large portions of wood with a coping saw, then keep whittling until you achieve your desired result.

            Basic Cuts and Techniques

            When you give most people a piece of wood and a knife without instructions, they will often make a spear tip by pressing the blade against the wood and carving away from their body in an outward thrusting movement. Instead, you should hold the wood in your hand and make precise cuts using a squeezing motion with your fingers. Never pull or push the blade with your arm.

            There are three basic cuts used in whittling:

            • Stop Cut – This cut demarcates where you want the opposing cuts to end. You can create this cut by repeatedly dragging the blade’s tip to carve straight or curving lines that indicate a difference in wood thickness. After, reposition the wood and make pull cuts toward the line by squeezing your hand to remove wood chips up to that point. Repeat this movement as often as you wish until you have cut to the desired depth. An alternate method is to make multiple V-cuts in opposite directions to create a valley or depression in the wood, then cut toward it. Do not try to remove large portions of wood with a single cut, as this could cause the piece to crack.
            • Pull Cut – You can make this cut by wearing a leather thumb guard and pulling the knife blade toward your thumb. Use a squeezing motion to remove wood chips or slices in a controlled manner.
            • Push Cut – To make this cut, face the blade of the knife away from you and use your thumb to push against the back of the blade and remove small pieces of wood in a forward motion. Again, you are pushing with your thumb, not your arm.

            Finishing

            When you finish whittling, the piece will bear cut marks and small ridges from the knife blade. Though the result isn’t perfectly smooth, I prefer this rough look because it indicates that the piece has been hand-whittled. Of course, you may use sandpaper to smooth out these telltale signs.

            Once you finish creating an ornament or decoration, you’ll want to devise a way to hang it if required. Find the balance point and drill a 3/16 inch hole about 1/4 inch deep and fill it with wood glue. Then, cut a piece of twine or decorative cord to an inch long, double it, and place the ends in the hole with the glue. In a few hours, the loop will dry and can be attached to a hook for hanging.

            Add color, definition, and depth by painting your decoration. Depending on the design, you might need to paint in stages, allowing each layer to dry before applying more paint. After the paint is dry, you may apply a brown wash. Rub off the excess wash to mute the colors underneath, create depth, and add an antiqued look. Finally, spray with a fast-drying clear lacquer to protect the finish.

            As in most creative endeavors, some people are unable to visualize the end result or simply have no desire to create art in the first place. Some may feel that whittling is a hobby they just can’t do. Even if you fall into one of these categories, we all have gifts to share. Those gifts differ greatly across the range of interests and activities in which we all participate.

            A headshot of Bob Manning.

            Bob Manning

            Bob Manning was raised in northern Utah. As a teenager, he worked in his family’s orchards growing cherries, peaches, and apricots. He began whittling after seeing someone carve a “ball in a cage” from a piece of broom handle. Bob wore out a couple of pocketknives before purchasing a fixed blade whittling knife. He first decided to try whittling ornaments when his friend invited him to an annual Christmas ornament party, and later continued to create whimsical ornaments for family and friends.

              Art Can Make You a Better Writer

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              I am a visual learner. Images help me remember and understand things more thoroughly. Art has helped me become a better writer as well. Here are four ways to harness the creative power of art in your writing.

              Turn to Art for Mental Respite

              Art can inspire creativity by activating the part of your brain that is responsible for contemplation and daydreaming. Your brain isn’t designed to stay in work mode constantly. Giving your mind a break from structured assignments allows it to relax—it’s like a brain vacation. When my kids were small, they once sent me to my room for a time-out. It made for the best day ever! Sometimes your brain just needs a break.

              Reflect on Art to Inspire Your Writing

              Slow down and take time to analyze artwork or an interesting photo. Give yourself a moment to ponder about the details and reflect on your impressions. Doing this can lead to new ideas and give you insights that will spark your writing.

              A painting called Pirates by Ned Young, an artist from Brigham City, Utah, hangs on our living room wall. It depicts two young boys standing atop a haystack next to a barn. One boy holds a sword and wears an eye patch, while the other boy looks through a telescope. Beside them, a skull-and-crossbones flag waves on a pole. When I look at that painting, it takes me to a place in my childhood. I can smell the hay. I can feel the summer heat. It makes me wonder if cats live in the barn. Are the boys looking for a place to hide treasure, or are they escaping from hungry cannibals? I get all these impressions from a watercolor painted in Utah.

              Art isn’t just displayed in galleries—it’s all around us. You can find artistry in the way leaves overlap and create interesting compositions. Cloud formations are one of my favorite works of art. Look closely at a spider web or ripple patterns in the water. Find music in the sounds around you. Our Father in Heaven is the ultimate artist.

              If you make art appreciation part of your life, your observation skills will grow. Your ability to write accurate descriptions will improve as you increase your awareness of the world around you.

              Cultivate Empathy through Art

              Elevating your awareness of the creativity around you can increase empathy toward others. As you pay more attention to the subjects in art and how they are portrayed, you may notice details that evoke an emotional response. For example, The Child’s Bath by Mary Cassat holds a special place in my heart because it depicts a woman bathing a toddler, and it elicits feelings of comfort, love, and contentment.

              The Child’s Bath by Mary Cassat

              On the flip side, The Scream by Edvard Munch also reminds me of motherhood, particularly when my kids haven’t picked up their Legos, and I step on one.  

              The Scream by Edvard Munch

              Find Story Ideas in Art

              When you ask questions about what you’re seeing and why the artist portrayed the image in the way they did, it can kickstart your creativity. You can explore even further by inserting yourself into the picture and asking questions from a new perspective. What made the artist choose this subject? If you were the person in the painting, why are you in that setting? What is your story? Engage your senses as you ask these questions. What might you taste, smell, or hear in this situation? Use your enhanced focus to sharpen the way you write your descriptions.

              Take the opportunity for an art break, whether it’s enjoying a painting, a sculpture, or the intrinsic beauty of nature. Art will stimulate your mind, boost your creativity, and help you become a better writer.

              A headshot of Cathy Witbeck

              Cathy Witbeck

              Cathy Witbeck is a Canadian-born author-illustrator transplanted to the USA. She remembers writing and drawing ever since she could pick up a pencil. She did an especially lovely piece of artwork on the side of the septic tank with house paint at a very young age. Perhaps that’s when it was discovered that she was gifted, or maybe it’s why she was sent to the USA.
              She has five grown kids and one grown husband. When she isn’t writing and illustrating, she is chasing after grandkids intent on making their own artwork.

                Combining Art and Writing

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                Art and writing are separate disciplines, each creative in its own way. While art can enhance the way we look at the world, writing helps us process words and ideas. Both subjects boost our creativity, help us learn to solve problems, and act as stress relievers. For me, adding art to writing is like putting a dill pickle on a burger.

                It occurred to me that writing is like painting with words. Can the reverse be true? Can creating a piece of artwork be like writing a message? I think it can. Here are some ways you can combine art with writing.

                The cover of Pysansky Promise by Cathy Witbeck.
                1. Create a picture book—Ironically, my first picture book, Pysanky Promise, was about an art form, the art of pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter egg “writing.” The word “pysanky” derives from the Ukrainian word “pysaty,” which means “to write.” Messages are written using a process that involves drawing letters and designs on the eggs with beeswax and dipping them in dye. The art of pysanky is a very literal way of writing a message with art.
                2. Make a graphic novel—This format is like a picture book that grew up or a comic book on steroids. Hats off to people with this talent.
                3. Keep a doodle or art journal—I found an opportunity to combine art and writing when I started a Book of Mormon sketch journal. I realized that I learn and retain more information when I express my thoughts with visual images. This study journal is the kind of record I’d like to leave to my family as a legacy of my spiritual insights.
                4. Write and draw in a nature sketchbook—You can jot down simple sketches that you label and date, or include complex observations and facts about the illustration. Sketching allows you to notice small details you may have missed at first or second glance.
                5. Design a greeting card—When a card is displayed in a grocery store rack, usually only the top third is visible. Make that section of the card distinctive to catch the browser’s eye, and that the artwork matches the theme of the card. Avoid pictures of people, as a card should appeal to any ethnicity.
                6. Create a website—Design your own logo and curate a portfolio page. If these suggestions add way too many dill pickles to your burger, find someone who is experienced in web and graphic design.
                7. Offer free printables on your website—These resources provide a good way to draw in traffic while giving your reader documents to enjoy. You could also offer a bonus information link related to your printable topic, i.e., “Collecting Shells.”
                8. Add your art to a PowerPoint—As a JustServe specialist, I made a PowerPoint using my art to emphasize important information in my presentation. I drew an illustration of a woman with a pile of responsibilities to contrast with an illustration of kids in a hot air balloon. My point was to demonstrate that JustServe is not a program to weigh you down, but an opportunity to lift you in service to others.
                9. Use your art to enhance a newsletter, program cover, or bulletin.
                10. Create your own hand lettering or make your own font.
                11. Make a board game—Design the board and write the rules.
                12. If you really want to go nuts, create your own world map. You could even write a study guide to share details about the images you choose to include.
                13. Design a business card—A business card is a multi-purpose tool. When properly designed, it can advertise your services, showcase your brand, invite people to act, and provide contact information.

                 Items to consider when designing a business card include:

                a) Shape—traditional rectangle vs. something creative that reflects your brand.

                b) Size—you don’t want it to be so small that it gets lost, or so large that people use it as a fan on hot days.

                c) Graphics—a popular trend is to include a wordless visual with a QR code on one side and text on the other.

                I find that writing and making art build off each other. A story I’m working on will often give me an idea for an image I want to create and vice versa. Combining writing and art means I rarely run out of ideas. I keep track of them in a file and remind myself to be selective. A notepad sits beside my bed for brilliant concepts that wake me in the night. One morning I found the words “dill pickle” scrawled down on the paper. Maybe it was a reminder to combine art and writing? It’s a dill-ema!

                A headshot of Cathy Witbeck

                Cathy Witbeck

                Cathy Witbeck is a Canadian-born author-illustrator transplanted to the USA. She remembers writing and drawing ever since she could pick up a pencil. She did an especially lovely piece of artwork on the side of the septic tank with house paint at a very young age. Perhaps that’s when it was discovered that she was gifted, or maybe it’s why she was sent to the USA.

                She has five grown kids and one grown husband. When she isn’t writing and illustrating, she is chasing after grandkids intent on making their own artwork.

                  Keeping Your Creative Spirit Alive

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                  I graduated from Utah State University with a degree in commercial and fine art, ready to make my mark on the artistic world. USU was connected with The Art Center School in Pasadena, California—now called Art Center College of Design, one of the top art schools in the nation.

                  After finishing my education, I was anxious to see if I could compete with other artists in the field. One little hiccup—I got married the week after graduation. This would not have been an issue, but we found out about a month later that we were expecting our first baby. Not a problem, I thought. I can still get out there and set the art world on fire. However, the pregnancy was more difficult than I had thought it would be, and I was extremely ill. Unfortunately, we lost that baby a few months into the pregnancy. A month or so later, we found out we were expecting again. I was thrilled, but very sick. The doctor scheduled an ultrasound to make sure all was well, and surprise! There were two little heartbeats.

                  Original Art by Laramie Dunn

                  I began teaching art at Grantsville High School, but I had to quit when I became too weak and nauseated to stand for long hours. So, at home with extra time on my hands, I sent off my portfolio and was picked up by two large galleries in Montana. I also started doing freelance illustration.

                  Twenty-two months after the twins were born, we welcomed another baby girl into our family. By this time, we had built our first home, and I made my studio in the unfinished third level of our multi-level house.

                  A company in southern Utah hired me to do a painting for the cover of their yearly magazine. They planned to send it out to all their stockholders and clients.

                  Painting with small children was not an easy feat. I could only paint after they were in bed, so I would work from about eight p.m. to one a.m. After I put more than one hundred hours into the piece, it was ready. The people who had hired me were scheduled to pick up the painting. Before they came, I went upstairs to check on my sleeping baby and unwittingly left the door to the studio open and my paints out. I realized what I’d done halfway through changing a diaper, so I quickly finished up and ran downstairs.

                  There they were, my darling little boy and girl, each with a paintbrush in hand, swishing paint across my masterpiece. I muffled a scream, sat on the steps, and shed a few tears. I realized that being a professional artist and having three small children was possibly not the best idea if I wanted to keep my sanity. Thankfully, I was able to salvage the painting before the clients arrived.

                  Being a young mother with small children is rewarding and exhausting. So many moms lose sight of their talents and ability to create during those difficult years raising their little ones. It’s important to carve out time for music, art, and literature, as creativity enriches not only Mom, but her family as well.

                  As my children grew older, I was able to set aside time to work on artistic avenues that fulfilled my desire to create. I taught art classes in the evenings and an art history class at Utah State Extension in Tooele, Utah. Using my talents to educate others was a fun outlet and helped provide my family with extra income.

                  Here are a few ideas to help keep your creative spirit alive during the years when your children are small.

                  • Find time to indulge in creative endeavors, even if it’s late at night. I looked forward to the quiet times when my children were in bed to watch a show or listen to music and work on an art project.
                  • Volunteer at an elementary school. Teachers are always looking for parents to help with the arts, and my kids were so excited and proud to have me visit their classrooms.
                  • Include your children in your art. For many years, I taught art classes in my home. I did have my children join the classes, but it was easier to have fun with them on my own time.
                  • Take your family to art-related activities to teach them an appreciation for the arts. We visited many galleries and sculpting studios. I did this more with my two younger children when the older kids were involved with other activities.
                  • Encourage your young children to be creative and unafraid to experiment with new mediums and ideas. I found if I made art materials available to my children, they would be free to create in their own ways.

                  Though my attempt to continue with a professional art career while working as a stay-at-home mom ended in catastrophe, I never lost the desire to be involved with the arts in some capacity. Those hectic days have long since passed, and I don’t regret my decision to put my art on hold. For me, being a mom was much more rewarding than advancing my art career. Now I paint for family, friends, and just to enjoy creating art without the pressure of deadlines or critiques.

                  Headshot of Laramie Dunn

                  Laramie Dunn

                  Laramie Dunn spent most of her youth riding horses and raising sheep. After graduating from Nutana High School, Laramie trained and showed Quarter Horses professionally across Canada and the United States. She became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 19 and attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. She later attended Utah State University and graduated in illustration and secondary education.

                  She met her husband, Clayton Dunn, in her senior year of college. They married and moved to Tooele, Utah, where they raised their five children. They now live in Stansbury Park and enjoy entertaining their 14 grandchildren.

                    Portrait of a Painter: The Journey of Latter-day Saint Artist Dan Wilson

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                    Dan Wilson began drawing from the time he could pick up a pencil. “I doodled on everything,” he recounts. “My first sale was in 7th grade to one of my teachers. She had me draw John Wayne. I couldn’t believe she gave me $20. But I battled being an artist. I studied chiropractic, fire science, and business, but I always felt a tug to go back to art.”

                    “Before graduation, Dan was all over the place,” said Heather, Dan’s wife of 13 years. “He couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do. I asked, ‘Why not art?’, but I never thought he would do it full time.” 

                    Early Inspiration

                    Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dan graduated from Utah Valley University with a bachelor degree in fine arts. “My greatest mentors were Perry Stuart, a UVU art professor, and William Whittaker, who mentored me after college. I was inspired by Danish artist Carl Bloch and French artist William Bouguereau.”

                    Dan is also inspired by his wife. “I wouldn’t be able to give it 100% if she wasn’t behind me,” he said. Dan first met Heather at Gold’s Gym. “I didn’t want to be that guy who gets her number at the gym,” he admitted, “then I ran into her at a dance two months later. The rest is history.” The couple has four boys and two girls ranging in age from two to eleven.

                    Lightbulb Moment

                    “I originally painted just to have a career. I did portrait art and wanted to get into galleries,” Dan said. “Then I painted my first image of Christ, and two families bought simple prints. One mother stopped me the next week at church, got emotional, and said, ‘You have no idea how much that image is uplifting us in our home.’ I thought, ‘That was really cool.’”

                    The next week at the exact same spot, another woman stopped Dan. “She also got emotional and said, ‘I gave my print to my sister who’s trying to keep her family together. You have no idea how much it means to them and how much it’s helping.’ She said almost the exact same words. The lightbulb went off and I knew—I’m supposed to be painting for a reason, and that is to uplift people in their homes with images of Christ.”

                    I’m supposed to be painting for a reason…

                    “When Dan was deciding what he wanted to paint, he was up and down,” said Heather. “When he realized he wanted to paint the Savior, everything just fell into place.”

                    Rigors of Aspiration

                    But it hasn’t always been easy. To support his art career, Heather cleaned houses and Dan managed a freight forwarding business for FEDEX. “My first year I made $7,000 from my art,” he said, “but Heather never second-guessed the whole thing.” 

                    In 2014, Dan started painting full time. “It’s not a normal nine-to-five job,” said Heather. “There’s no paid time off. His schedule varies. At six pm he may be in the middle of something he can’t leave. Sometimes he paints until midnight. But he’s a hard worker and takes on the responsibility of providing for the family. He constantly studies the work of other artists.”

                    Inspiration is a Process

                    Dan relies heavily on the power and process of inspiration. “If I’m painting the Savior for a temple, I just want to do Him justice. I’m intimidated every time,” he said. “I spend a lot of mental prep work getting ready to paint. I get a father’s blessing. I include it in my fast. Then I do the best painting I can with the Lord’s help.”

                    Dan is quick to add that inspiration doesn’t come all at once. “I can take it only so far, and then I get stuck where I just don’t know what the best thing for the painting is. It’s then that I receive more answers.”

                    Washington DC Temple Painting

                    This process was repeatedly manifested in his largest work to date, “His Return,” a depiction of Christ’s Second Coming for the Washington DC Temple.

                    Dan had already completed six paintings for temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he received a call from the Temple Department to do another: an eight-by-twelve-foot oil painting for the Washington DC Temple. It needed to be completed in time for the temple rededication in the summer of 2022.

                    “This Second Coming piece was a big slice of humble pie. I ran into several things I didn’t know how to do,” said Dan. “I’ve never done a mural this size before with 300-plus angels. It stretched me. When I get overconfident and don’t rely on the spirit, I make a lot of mistakes I have to spend the next day fixing. It’s pretty easy to stay grounded when you realize you’re painting stuff you can’t paint by yourself. I learn something new each time.”

                    “The temple department gave me the idea for the painting based on scripture, with the Savior coming in the clouds clothed in a red robe surrounded by numerous angels,” said Dan. “I produced preliminary sketches with graphite. When they were approved, I was asked to do a one-by-two-foot painting which the temple interior designer would use for their color palate. When that was approved, they let me loose.”

                    Dan went to work finding models and clothing for them, creating concepts for the trumpets, and conducting numerous photoshoots before putting it all together. “I spent hundreds of hours in Photoshop just placing the angels so that they didn’t create a pattern and the diversity was not stacked in one section. I had about 30 models, but as you go further away from Christ the detail isn’t as apparent.” 

                    God is in the very details of our work.

                    There were more layers of approval for the painting, the last one being a member of the First Presidency of the Church. It took Dan an estimated 2,000 hours to paint “His Return”—a fourth of it in preparation alone. 

                    Specific Revelation

                    Dan’s original concept was for 120 angels. To give greater depth to the painting, the number grew to more than 300. “I painted one angel at a time,” he said. “It took one to three days per angel. All of them had slightly different contrasts. The hardest thing about painting 300 angels surrounding Christ is to have them not consume all the attention and to have them go back in space evenly and consistently. I was really stressed out about it, and I prayed and fasted a lot.”

                    One morning Dan awoke early and visualized the use of a specific white glaze to apply in variation to make the angels complement and not compete with the image of the Savior. It gave them a glowing feel and helped them fit perfectly in atmospheric perspective. 

                    “Such a specific revelation is a testimony to me that God is in the very details of our work. That doesn’t just apply to me as a Christian artist working on temple paintings, but it applies to anyone in any career. God is in the details of our work, and He can answer specific questions to help us be better providers, better employees, better employers, better husbands or wives, or wherever we need help. If we’re specific with Him, He’ll be specific with us.”

                    Howard Collette

                    Author Bio

                    Howard Collett has two novels in production, Erika’s War, a spy novel set in contemporary Berlin, and Lost in the Wilderness, the tale of a 10-year-old girl lost in Utah’s Uinta mountains. He has published 1,600 articles and 300 photos in aviation, medicine, software, and education in national and international magazines. His capstone achievement documented life-saving humanitarian aid on four continents. Visit www.howardcollett.net for more information.