My Twelve Year Old Self

One of my favorite things about living in Sandy, Utah is the view of Twin Peaks and Lone Peak. There is a nature preserve in the city called Granite Park, which is pretty large and consists of a variety of trails and native vegetation to the area. I am grateful for those that have the foresight to set aside such pieces of land. I have been spending quite a bit of time in the park taking pictures of the mountains.

As lighting is crucial to a good photo, I am always trying to get in the right spot at the right time. Sunrise and the alpenglow are two of my favorite times of the day. Even more, there are subdivisions that line the preserve, so it takes some work to get a picture without the houses in it. The result: there are times that I am running all over the area trying to get just the right shot. It reminds me of what I was like when I was around 12 years old and laugh to think what others who might see me might think! I guess that 12 year old knew when he was in his element. I am glad that the 31 year old version of me still has part of the 12 year old version in him.

The Manti Pageant

I have had several people encourage me to include some of my photography on my website. I have struggled with this as I am much harder on my photography than I am on my paintings.

My Uncle Rick graduated in Photography from Brigham Young University and I have always admired his talent and knowledge of photography. I followed in his footsteps to a small degree by taking Photography in High School from the same teacher he had taken it from, Mr. Stanton. But a year of photography in high school doesn't compare to a Bachelor's degree in it, which has lead to a level of intimidation on my part in making my photography available for display and purchase.

My Uncle Rick and his wife Charlene recently came and stayed with me and my roommates and while he was here I had him take a look at some of the photos I have done. With a some coaching and encouragement from him, I have decided to go ahead and make some of my photography available.

As summer has almost arrived, I have decided to release a panoramic photo I took of the Mormon Miracle Pageant that is held in Manti, Utah every June. It should be on the website sometime this week. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the pageant, it is held outdoors at the bottom of the Manti Temple hill. Over 80,000 people attend each year. It celebrates the events leading to the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its doctrines, and its pioneer heritage. The pageant begins at sundown and the photo I took shows the sunset to the left, the temple in the middle, and the silhouette of the trees behind the temple to the right. In the foreground you can see the faces of the crowd illuminated by the stage lights as they wait for the pageant to begin.

I have attended the pageant almost every year since I have lived in Utah. I am big on traditions, and this is one of mine. I love being able to get out of the city and enjoy rural Utah. It reminds me of where I grew up. Turkey farms are a major part of the landscape and the smoked turkey dinner you can get before the pageant starts can't be beat!

The pageant's script has been the same for many years and is an audio recording that is streamed through large speakers. While listening to the audio presentation, a cast of over 500 people, many coming from the youth of the local congregations, act out the events being discussed. I have had friends complain or joke about the audio portion, but I think it is more of an issue of an older style being used. Overall it is very well done. There are some beautiful images that have left an imprint on my mind and heart that come forth during the presentation. They depict things that are so near to my heart, things that are so very sacred to me.

I intend this blog to be something that anyone of any faith or belief can appreciate, but I would like to share one of the scenes that always touches my heart. Family is a very important part of Latter-day Saint culture and doctrine. We believe that we can live eternally with our families in heaven after this life. Behind the temple on the right hand side is a large and beautiful staircase that comes from the temple down the hill a ways. In the story presented, one of the main characters dies. As we wait in a moment of darkness, this staircase is illuminated and we see the character's spirit all dressed in white ascending the staircase. As he ascends, we see his wife and others who already passed on descending with beautiful smiles and outstretched arms to greet him. It is always a good reminder for me of what matters most in this life.

Mountains and Light: The Blog

Since starting up Jeremiah S. Perryman Fine Art and http://www.jperryman.com/, I have thought about also starting a blog to help share the thoughts and feelings behind the art and to provide the viewer with greater insight into me, the artist.

I have decided to call the blog Mountains and Light. Mountains, because most of my art is inspired by the beauty and joy that I find in them. Light, because without it, everything is meaningless. Obviously, I am refering to more than just the visible light we see, although that is an important element of art. I also mean the light that my faith, family and friends help shed on my life. I believe that it is this latter type of light that makes art great. My ulitmate goal is to be able to reflect beauty that is not only seen, but felt. The artists I admire the most do this.

I hope you enjoy the future posts of this blog.

Sincerely,

Jeremiah Perryman