Lights of Liberty

For my painting The Lights of Liberty, I turned once again to my faith in God, my love for my fellow man, and my pride in America and what we stand for. I was determined to create an image of inspiration to answer the horror and despair of our recent national catastrophe. Now is the time when each of us.

I’ve never painted the White House before. One reason I’m doing it now is that I’ve been asked to take part in the inspiring ceremony that marks the lighting of the national Christmas tree. How I look forward to the moment when the Kinkade family joins the American family in honoring this grand tradition.

I intend to present The Lights of Liberty, the first in my new Seasons of Lights Collection, to both the outgoing and incoming first families. This painting celebrated the national security and prosperity that flows from decisions made in this building. As we enter a new millennium, we are again reminded that the peaceful passing of the American mantle of power is a most important achievement.

I haven’t painted the tree ceremony, instead I chose a scene of profound solitude and quite serenity. As the flag flies over the White House bathed in the glow of sunset, we are not distracted by the pomp and circumstance surrounding this national attraction. Rather, I portray the home of our national first family, safe and calm, as an extension of all American families.

Perhaps then, the “lights of liberty” suggested by my painting’s title could be either the peaceful lights of an American home or the symbolic glow of the tree, a luminous messenger of our precious religious freedoms. I pray that each year, this painting will bring many together to celebrate the blessings of the seaon of lights.