Del Parson Biography Continued:

...His father often took his nine children on painting excursion camp-outs. Parson loved the outdoors and went on to major in life sciences. However, drawing came naturally for him, and he found his father's love of art to be contagious, as did two of his brothers, who became artists as well.

Influenced by his father and brothers, Parson was also inspired by a teacher at BYU; fellow artist William Whitaker. After earning his MFA, Parson became a gallery and portrait artist. In 1978, a tragedy changed his life. His wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. It was then that he realized the meaning of life. Feeling God's love, Parson began to paint religious subjects to give others the sense of hope that he found and to share with them his love of life and its beauty.

Often, when reading Scripture, he will visualize ideas for paintings. After making a list, one idea will sometimes jump out more strongly than the others. Like any creative endeavor, painting is hard work, and a major oil painting can take at least a month to complete. But often, says Parson, a painting magically takes on a life of its own, and when that happens, the experience is pure joy. It is moments like these that an artist loves best.

Parson now lives in Utah with his wife and six children. His paintings of Christ evoke a strong emotional response from viewers, and both his religious and historical paintings have received numerous regional and national awards. Parson's work has been exhibited at the Allied Artists of America, National Academy of Design, Knickerbocker Artist, American Artists Professional League and the Amarillo Rotary Show.

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