To help tell the story....

One incredible thing I've learned from doing these paintings is that I have so much more support than I realized. Support has come in all kinds of ways- people spreading the word, giving me compliments, trading with me, giving me ideas, supporting my Patreon, and even filling in the gaps where I don't have the talents suitable to do what's needed.

Jenny is one of my biggest supporters! She is one I go to bounce ideas off of, to see how an image is REALLY looking (let's be honest, I don't love ALL my work), and writing. She's going to be writing many of these blog posts for me because she knows how to work magic with the written language. I send her a Marco Polo with what I'd like to say- just me talking- and she's able to take away from that what needs to be shared with the world.  So, without further ado, here is the story about Joseph Smith's First Prayer:

When Robyn listened to "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" she felt peace. She could see light and trees, she could picture the Sacred Grove. It made her want to sing. But she struggled with the notes. It hurt that she couldn't sing along with the music that meant so much to her.  She wanted to be able to help other see what she could see and to feel the peace she felt.

So, when she was inspired by old hymn books in the library, she decided to paint the music of that hymn. To Robyn, "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" is "the epitome of loving music and not being able to sing."

"All I've ever wanted to do was give credit to the song."

The first time Robyn attempted to paint the music, it didn't come out as she had hoped. The color of the water-color pencils she used was too light to be seen. In the past, this may have been enough for Robyn to give up on the idea. But not this idea. She tried again - this time using water-color markers. It worked!

Be on the lookout for another version of this song coming soon.