Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Two well-known Latter-day Saint artists, both recognized for their paintings of Christ, will share stories behind their works and insights about art history as part of two up-close-and-personal group tours next year to sites in Italy, including the Rome Italy Temple.
The “Celebrate Art and Faith in Italy” tours will feature Arizona-based artist Howard Lyon, who has made a name both for his artwork and as an illustrator in the video game world, and prolific Utah artist Greg Olsen, who is widely known to Latter-day Saints and across a wider Christian audience as well, particularly for such paintings as “O Jerusalem” and “King of Kings.”
“Both artists are gentle, spiritual giants,” said Lyon’s wife, Shari, organizer of the tours, “and both are well-schooled in art history," so tour participants will “step inside the Renaissance through the eyes of these artists,” she said. “It’s a very different thing to walk through an art gallery with an artist and have them share facts about the paintings. It makes art come alive.”
Olsen and Lyon will offer workshops on art technique as well as explanations “about the inspiration behind their own work and general art-related topics, such as how art affects us,” Shari Lyon said.
Tour participants also will have opportunities to “experience the beautiful Tuscan hills the way the locals do.” This will include a service project tailored to the season (for example, the fall tour will include olive-picking) as well as the “time-honored tradition of hunting for truffles.”
There will also be a visit to the Rome Italy Temple grounds — including attendance at the open house or a temple session, depending on the timing. Among other things, the tour will take in the wonders of Florence and the Carrara marble quarry, the source for famous sculptures by Medici and Michelangelo and, more recently, for the Christus and the Twelve Apostle statues for the Rome Temple Visitors Center.
“Certain places have the ability to rejuvenate our spirits. Perhaps no place on earth has fostered those things as completely as Italy has. Immersed in the birthplace of the Renaissance, one can't help but be reminded that our own spiritual rebirth can be cultivated,” Lyon said.
Olsen agreed, saying, "In my experience there is nothing like travel to awaken the senses, stimulate new ideas, broaden perspectives and open the flood gates to your creative juices.”
He said in the case of the “Celebrate Art and Faith in Italy” tours, “I couldn't be more excited to share this experience with Howard Lyon. Every time I am with him I come away inspired and uplifted. The joy he gets from his life's work and from life itself is contagious.”
Born and raised in Mesa, Ariz., Lyon’s work as an artist began with the study of illustration at Brigham Young University. He worked in the video game industry for more than 20 years, painting dragons, trolls or scenes from science fiction. After additional study in Italy, France and at the Grand Central Academy in New York, he expanded his art to create more inspirational pieces. Many of these are award-winning paintings and several have appeared in the Ensign magazine and other publications. Two huge, 15-foot murals Lyon completed hang in the baptistery of the recently dedicated Gilbert Arizona Temple.
For Olsen, art held a place of prominence in his life from an early age. Born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, his parents supported his interest in art, which began in about the fourth or fifth grade. It was a high school art teacher who further fueled his passion and helped solidify his desire to make art his career. Olsen studied art at Utah State University, where he met his wife, Sydnie Cazier. They have six grown children and Olsen now paints in his home studio, which he says is “37 steps from the back door” of their home. His paintings of the Savior are well known to Latter-day Saints and are found in many homes, church buildings and in more than 20 temples. His paintings are popular throughout a wider Christian audience as well.
Of the tour, Olsen said, “The atmosphere will be personal and intimate. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this extraordinary adventure.”
For details about the tours, visit www.howardlyon.com/italy. Cecily Markland is a freelance writer, book editor, publicist and author of "Hope: One Mile Ahead" and the children’s book "If I Made a Bug." She owns Inglestone Publishing and produces cecilymarkland.com, a calendar of LDS events in Arizona.
