"Jesus -- Our Great and Loving Teacher" by Jeffrey Conlon, All Saints', Stoneham, MA

The thought behind the painting "Jesus-
Our Great and Loving Teacher": I wanted
to present Christ as such a good and loving presence that it attracts the intellectual side of all living creatures. I wanted to show that his message was received by people all over the world and from all time periods. That is why there are representative people from all over the world and from all time periods. That is why there are representative people from all over the world and from the time of his teachings, they can not help but love him. I chose to have him surrounded by admiring children. Children are so naturally honest that they perceive Christ’s nature and love him even on an instinctive level. I placed animals in the painting also because they instinctively are honest, natural and that the love of Christ would have an affect on them; they would be attracted to him.

I am an expressionist and was given the honor of painting a diptych mural for my church I seriously thought of painting it in a more realistic tone, using more muted earth colors. After putting deep thought into it I decided that I wanted to paint the story my way. It’s how I feel about our Lord and the way I love to paint. I also wanted to show how his presence affects our earth and the universe. Jesus affects the laws of nature in the painting by bringing attention to his ability to heal the sick and by showing the candle flame drawn to him even if outdoor winds are headed the opposite direction. The universe is represented by having angels racing to him to listen to his teachings.

As a person looks at the painting they will see Charlemagne a Christian emperor, a Napoleonic French officer, a Latin gaucho, an Inuit, a lady of the Victorian era. There are representatives from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Asia Minor, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, the Northern Regions and the South East Pacific. The painting shows children and adults from all social levels, rich, middle class and poor.

When making the painting I took a camera to church and took pictures of church members. I positioned them in poses that I wanted my characters in the painting to be in. That way I would know the relationship of the torsos, arms, legs, feet and hands to one another. Once the film was developed I took them into my studio and drew them as the characters I wanted in the painting.
I love my church and the congregation has become my second family over the years, they surrounded me in support and compassion at the most difficult moment of my life. The painting is my gift to the people I love and who love me.