Liz Lemon Swindle Limited Edition Giclee on canvas:"Silent Night"Item #: SWIN-1Title: Silent Night Edition Size:1000 Medium: Giclee on Canvas Image Dimensions: 34x25.5 About the Artist:Liz Lemon Swindle has a deep, abiding faith that she feels blessed to share through her art. A lifelong Utah resident, she studied fine arts at Utah State University. She worked for several years as a set designer and painter for the Osmond Studios television production company. As her family grew (she and her husband Jon Swindle today have five children), she saw the need for a more flexible career and decided to focus on oil painting. In the early 1980s she tutored under renowned wildlife artist Nancy Glazier and soon after established her own impressive reputation as a wildlife painter, participating in shows at major galleries in the central and western United States. However, Lemon Swindle became increasingly discontent, feeling artistically and spiritually unfulfilled. In October 1988 she reached a turning point when she submitted a portrait of children to the National Arts for the Parks competition and received the coveted Founders' Favorite award. She realized then that there was an audience for her portrait painting and by the early 1990s she had devoted herself to the topic closest to her heart: her faith. A one-woman show of her Christian art traveled to cities nationwide in the summer of 1997 and a book of her paintings, "She Shall Bring Forth a Son" was published in 1998. About the Art:For the past year I have painted events from the last week of the Savior’s life. Paintings of the crucifixion, the scourging, and the betrayal took a toll on me and my soul longed for peace. For this reason, I decided to paint the Nativity – for what moment better depicts hope, promise, and peace? We're all familiar with the traditional paintings of Mary holding the baby while Joseph looks on. I saw Joseph in a more substantial role, perhaps because my children were raised by a stepfather. I thought of Joseph, a child himself, awkwardly holding this new-born infant. Maybe he sat taking in the grandeur of it all, or perhaps he simply felt love. This young couple would go on to raise the most important and perfect man that has ever lived. Because of their love as parents, our lives have hope and promise. After I finished the painting and stepped back I realized that I had found what I was looking for. I had found peace. |
