I will always remember my dad sitting in his chair at home reading his Bible. When I painted this large oil of him, he was reading the newspaper, seated on the couch on the third floor of the ACU art department where everything is covered with paint. I had drawn him several times. Maybe that is why this picture turned out so colorful and free. The entire thing was accomplished in one sitting which is unusually fast for me.

 

My dad is in heaven now. One thing I learned from him was tenacity. He never gave up on anything or anyone. We had arguments, but no matter how upset we were at the end, he always told me he loved me. He always praised me and encouraged my art. He seemed to understand my need for verbal affirmation and told me that I was an artist. My dedication to the things that are important in life like my family, my faith, and my art come from the example of his persistence. He also spoke art into my life, and those words became the truth.

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"Your 'Father Reading' is wonderful-- powerful, compelling." Dave Malone, Poet/Fictionwriter/Screenwriter

 

To see another portrait painted in this style click here.