#449- A Soft Spot For Sheep

#449- Oil on board by Greg Newbold

If you have followed my blog, you will no doubt remember a few other paintings I have done involving sheep. Growing up, I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with these creatures. Our family homestead where my widowed great aunt lived always had sheep and as she had no children, we took care of them for her much of the time. For a time in my teen years, it was my daily chore to feed, water and otherwise monitor the animals. I didn't always love taking care of the sheep, especially in bitter cold weather, but I loved visiting with my Aunt Mame. These are not her sheep, but they represent the memories I cherish from that time in my life. See some of my previous sheep themed paintings below.

Aunt Mame's Sheep
Winter Coats
Unburdened
Penned In

"Unburdened" In 9th International Art Show

Unburdened-24" x 32" oil by Greg Newbold

I just got word that my painting "Unburdened" has been selected to hand in the 9th International Art Competition. Nearly 1200 entries from around the world were submitted to this competition, so I am pleased to be among those artists whose work was selected to hang in the show. This is the first time I have entered the show and I am excited to be a part of it.

This exhibit is very much a spiritual art show and my painting has deep meaning for me beyond the fact that helping with shearing sheep was a yearly ritual for me when growing up. The title "Unburdened" is a metaphor symbolizing our Savior's redemption for our sins and how we, like the sheep, must submit to His will in order to be relieved from the weight of that burden..


"Unburdened" will be on exhibit at the Church History Museum from Friday, March 16, 2012, through Sunday, October 14, 2012. Award winners will be announced on March 16, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. A reception will follow in the Church History Museum through 9:00 p.m. There will be viewer favorite awards as well, so if you make it down to the show, please vote for my painting!