Lead, Kindly Light

This was my first religious painting that I attempted.  I was unemployed at the time and had a great friend who enabled me to do this by commissioning me to paint it.  It got me started in the religous artwork industry and I'll always be grateful to him.  His name is Dan Carter and is a very talented LDS music composer.  He even arranged a very beautiful version of the hymn "Lead Kindly Light" to go with the "unveiling" of this piece.  I'll be forever grateful to him for his support in this endeavor.

  I got the idea that It would be neat to show Christ with an oil lamp.  The lamp suggests that Christ is the "light in the darkness" and will lead the way for us when we're otherwise in complete darkness.  I also thought of the parable about the ten virgins with their oil lamps making sure that they have enough oil to be prepared for when the Master comes.  We don't know when He will come for us, it could be in the middle of the night when we least suspect......  Let's hope that we are prepared.  The most important thing I wanted to portray in His face -since we don't really know what he looks like - were Kind Eyes.  I think that Christ leads us gently, kindly and more lovingly than any of us can ever know.  He does so with the most pure form of love - charity.       .....  Lead Kindly Light.