Annie Henrie Nader is painter and illustrator who explains, “Most of my figures tend to radiate an inner calm and satisfaction, and my hope is that this may in turn have the viewer find that mirrored in themselves”. Nader was born in New York City, graduated from BYU, and she and her husband now call Utah home.

How would you describe yourself as an artist? I would describe myself as an artist who is attempting to make art that is timeless and also contemporary. I have loved how Greek sculpture and Renaissance art have continued to set the standard of excellence, and this art is always beautiful whatever decade we happen to be in. I hope to make art that recalls the past, that expresses the process of age and the beauty of ‘being weathered’, while also tapping into modern spirituality. It has become important to me to address what makes someone or something beautiful- that the things that make us imperfect, a little chaotic, and experienced can shape us into more holy, complete, and beautiful human beings.

You have said, “Most of my figures tend to radiate an inner calm and satisfaction.” Explain. A lot of the women in my paintings are meant to be iconic women, women that others can relate to in one way or another. These women in a way represent what I hope and wish for – how it feels to experience the deep abiding peace that the Gospel of Christ promises, despite what goes on in life. Many of the women I paint reflect happiness and peace alongside a sense of sorrow- the two conflict within this being as being the necessary opposites in life. Ultimately, these women show that their peace and spiritual contentment have overcome the cares and sorrows of the world, and that they are ‘one in Christ’.

Your father is an accomplished artist. It was an amazing thing to have my dad as my own personal art coach. In many ways I wanted to emulate everything he did- from his work ethic to his love of texture and exploring new materials, to how he always made his paintings radiate light. As I started painting more and more I did see our styles diverge- his style being a more intense, masculine approach to landscape painting, while mine branched into more feminine themes and colors. It’s still really fun to compare notes and brainstorm about new ideas with my dad, and to this day my mom and dad are my most favorite art critics. I know that if they both approve of a painting I’ve done, it’s a good one. I owe everything to the support and encouragement of my parents.

You served a mission in England and studied in Europe. How did those experiences shape your voice as an artist? My studies abroad through BYU were incredibly influential, and were some of the best things I did as a student there. In England and Italy I saw A LOT of art- I saw the difference between overly sexualized and explicit art and art that meant to lift and inspire others to be better and greater human beings. I found my style there, and in many ways, found who I was. My mind was opened to the many different types of people and cultures there are in the world, and loved learning about the history of art.

Serving in England was pivotal in so many ways. There I met real life saints and angels- people who had gone through hard things but had risen above them and embraced the light of Christ. I met people who had been tried and tested in every way but were serving and ministering- by every definition they were angels. I also saw how silly it would be to just make art for decoration’s sake- there was so much need for help, compassion, and the Gospel in the world. However, I knew that art was my one natural talent, and the mission inspired me to work to find how to apply it, how to help the world on an everyday basis. It has been a powerful motivation to create and promote this type of art, and in a way, has continued the mission of spreading the Gospel.

Visit Annie Henrie Nader’s website.

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Joshua Baird is an oil painter whose primary subjects are the animals and landscape of the Southwestern United States. His stunning series Facetime was created for the Best Friends Animal Society. Baird is a former high school teacher and he  holds two degrees from Southern Oregon University. He lives with his family in Southern Utah.

Talk about your series Facetime. Facetime was a solo exhibition I did as a fundraiser for Best Friends Animal Society. BFAS is the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States.  It’s located in a beautiful canyon North of Kanab, Utah. They mostly focus on adoptions of cats and dogs, but they also have departments for rabbits, wildlife, birds, pigs and horses. My wife, Tara, works with the large domestic animals at BFAS. I decided to take a break from painting landscapes, my predominant subject, to do portraits of these 4-legged characters. I was interested in the forms and textures of their faces; but more than that, I was interested in getting to know them personally.

We’ve been conditioned to view domesticated animals as a source of food, clothing, transportation and other products. Facetime is about looking into the eyes of these animals and connecting with them at a deeper level.  There is a side to these animals that is often overlooked,  a depth to their gaze that is deep and mysterious.  Their world is simple, but not vacant. I used this John Muir quote in my artist statement to illustrate this idea: “Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.”

Describe your creative process. Best Friends staff generously drove me around the property and introduced me to the different animals. I brought along my sketchbook, but soon learned it was mostly worthless. Capturing these animals’ faces in pencil or paint is almost impossible. They don’t hold still, and they’re not interested in people who aren’t feeding them. I ended up using video to help me find the best lighting and poses. Apart from the difficulty of the task of collecting reference imagery, I loved spending time with the animals and later capturing what I experienced in paint.

Visit Joshua Baird’s website.

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Kathleen Peterson has a series of oil paintings depicting sacred women from the scriptures recently exhibited at the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City. She lives in rural Utah on a farm with her husband and Pete the dog. “I just pictured the scene of the story about Mary, Jesus’ mother. I tried to illustrate what it seemed like to me. First I read the scripture,” said Peterson, describing her process to create the paintings, “I actually pray all the time before I paint.”

Talk about your Sacred Women series. How were you approached, how was the development, and what has been the reception. “Girls Who Choose God” by Bethany Brady Spalding and McArthur Krishna was written in response to a question Bethany’s daughter asked as they were reading the Bible together at night. Her daughter asked Bethany,  “Mom, but where are all the girls?” After searching children’s books for Bible women, Bethany and McArthur wrote their own book highlighting eleven women and their stories. Being familiar with my work, they contacted me to ask if I would illustrate the stories which I was pleased to do. The book which became available last October has been very well received, and in fact was sold out mid-December and had a second printing by January of 2015.

Visit Kathleen Peterson’s website.