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“I was listening to a song by Nora Jones,” explains James Christensen. “At one point she sings, 'In a boat that’s built of sticks and hay, we drifted from the shore . . . .' It occurred to me that a new marriage is like a tiny nest of sticks and twigs and on the river of life, our relationships act like a boat that holds us together as we travel along its meandering path. Through their journey together, this newlywed couple will build stronger supports into their fledgling nest until it will be a shelter able to withstand even the fiercest of storms.
“The shoreline of the river is bountiful with signs that good fortune will accompany this newlywed couple throughout their passage. Heart-shaped bushes populate the undergrowth along the river’s edge. Lemons, a universal symbol of marital happiness, ripen abundantly on a tree. Next to it, the oranges signify that they hope to start a family. The white lilies are an indication of purity and virtue and the irises represent faith and hope. Peace and friendship in the family can be expected since a pair of swallows blesses this couple with their presence.”
"The Nest" is not the first time James Christensen has focused his attention on the joyous institution of marriage. "The Bride" was a highly popular release that sold out quickly upon its release in 2005. "The Nest" is much more than a wonderful wedding or housewarming gift. It is a lasting reminder for any couple of the faith placed in each other in the early stage of their life together.
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Inspired by the world’s myths, fables and tales of imagination, James C.
Christensen’s work adds up to more than a beautiful - if sometimes “curious”
looking work of art. Having taught art professionally for over 20 years, he
thought of the world as his classroom. His hope is that through whatever he
creates -- be it a porcelain, fine art print or book -- he can convey a message,
inspiration or a simple laugh. He believes that teaching people to use their
imagination helps us find solutions to sooth the stresses of everyday life-or
get a little lift to help us keep going. In short: all things are possible when
you share Christensen’s philosophy that “Believing is Seeing.”
Christensen was born in 1942 and raised in Culver City, California. He studied
painting at Brigham Young University and, for a while, the University of
California at Los Angeles before finishing his formal education at BYU. Since
then, he has had one-man shows in the West and the Northeast and his work is
prized in collections throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Christensen has also won all the professional art honors the World Science
Fiction and Fantasy Convention can bestow, as well as multiple Chesley Awards
from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. Christensen has
been designated as a “Utah Art Treasure,” one of Utah’s Top 100 Artists by the
Springville Museum of Art and received the Governor’s Award for Art awarded by
the Utah Arts Council recognizing the significance of Christensen’s artwork to
Utah’s cultural communities. He was inducted into the U.S. Art magazine’s Hall
of Fame and is an Honored Alumnus at Brigham Young University for his
contributions to fine art and education. James and his wife Carole were co-
chairs on the Mormon Arts Foundation. He was a frequent guest lecturer at
Brigham Young University, and has also given workshops to large companies and
organizations on the subject of creative thinking, including the California Art
Educator’s Association, Hallmark and Intermountain Health Care.
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