54×18 inches (137×46 cm), oil on board, 2023
Alternate title: Ammon Blessing His Brethren, from The Book of Mormon, Alma chapter 17
This painting depicts Ammon blessing his brethren and a few select companions just before they enter the lands of their enemies, the Lamanites. They had journeyed many days, fasting and praying much to bring, if possible, their brethren “to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct”. God assured them they were doing His will.
Their efforts were rewarded far beyond their expectations.
The storyline is dynamic, more like a movie than a still image, so I created a panoramic shot encapsulating the main elements of the story, starting on the left with a view of the beautiful but troubled lands Ammon and his brothers came from, to the scene in the middle where he blesses them, to a right-side vista of their goal, the dangerous lands of their relatives, now bitter blood enemies.
It wasn’t an easy painting to do.
Story details and my painting process are detailed on the web page.