My Havenlight piece

Thanks to Havenlight, I have this beautiful new piece of art in my home. This Summer, we welcomed a new baby girl into our home after over a decade of trying to expand our family. The story of her birth is nothing short of miraculous, and after having two boys, the whole dynamic of our household has changed. This piece of art spoke to me as the progression of shoes chronicles the stages of life that a little girl might go through. Though she’s only wearing baby shoes now, she will soon progress and someday will have a family of her own. I found that this painting speaks for me by presenting a visual image of something that has been on my mind constantly in the last three months. I’m determined to cherish each one of these stages.

A havenlight giveaway

This week, the folks at Havenlight are running a giveaway for a $200 gift certificate! To enter, just follow this link:

https://havenlight.com/pages/let-art-be-your-voice-giveaway

Also, as a perk to my readers, you can use the promotional code “WRITERMIKE” to receive 20% off your Havenlight order.

About Dan wilson

“I want to paint images that speak to and uplift the viewer, pieces that remind them of the beauties of life, the reasons for living and loving existence. Vibrant colors and brush strokes working together with the disciplines of art to create beauty and emotion you can’t achieve in any other way.” — Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson is an award-winning fine artist from Lehi Utah. As a young boy Dan dove deep into art, always known as “that kid that doodles on everything”. After serving an LDS mission those artistic passions grew as he painted full time for his Major at UVU. After graduation he was taken under the wing of his mentor William Whitaker, who pushed him hard to improve his skills.  

Dan Wilson paints and teaches out of his home art studio where he is supported by his beautiful wife and six children.  

About Jenedy Paige

I am a realist in every sense of the word. I paint things as they exist, in the representational tradition, but also in the concepts behind my work. I am a truth teller. I love the classical approach to painting and its ability to so easily invite the viewer in. However, I also know the value abstraction, and the power it has to express things that realism cannot, and so I try to include both in my paintings. There is nothing I love more than a delicate and detailed figure on an expressive background.

My paintings begin in a journal. I record my frustrations, sorrows, joys, ambitions, hopes and then I transform those words into images. I guess you could say I very literally draw from life experience. I try to be as honest as I can in the telling, I don’t mince words. I then release the story to the canvas, and as I paint I am enabled to process the experience in a new way and to learn from it. I’m not fast, I take my time with the painting, and the lesson in it. Layer by layer I work, carefully revealing the wisdom inside.

When it comes to creating images I believe that simplicity is key. The more concise you can say something, the more powerful it is. So although my writing is usually lengthy, I look for symbols I can use, and try to condense my thoughts into a concise visual statement. I strive to find a shortcut right to the heart of the viewer, something that will strike them at first glance.

When I have taken the painting as far as I can, I return to writing. And just when I think I have dissected a particular idea, when I have learned all I could, writing usually takes it one step further. Words then become the final layer to the piece. The work and the text are then offered up together to others. I then find my experiences are not all that original, as the work strikes a familiar cord in the viewer. People often place themselves inside my work, and add their story to mine, and thus my heart and the heart of my audience connect over the canvas.