Grace Enstrom

There are a few things that give me a sensation that I just can’t explain no matter how hard I try. I can try and use words like peaceful, harmonious, stillness, but those words, though all reminiscent of this sensation don’t quite capture what it is fully that I feel in my chest. These things include star gazing and the heavens above, kneeling in prayer in the still of the night, going to the temple, and though there are other things I will conclude this brief list with a certain painting I own which is entitled “Grace” by Enstrom. It is a painting of a grey bearded fellow praying over his meal. There is what I believe to be a bowl of tomato soup and loaf of bread on the table. There is also what I presume to be his bible next to him on the table and his spectacles resting gently upon it. Everything about this painting emanates this deep sensation I speak of. I found it one day in a pile of junk that my family was either going to throw away or give to Deseret Industries. I had never seen it before and couldn’t believe they were getting rid of it. It struck me as remarkable the instant I saw it so I knew that I had to save it from its undetermined fate. I took it and I’ve had it up on my walls ever since. Just a few years in my possession and I find myself staring at it often as I walk in and out of my room. There is a definite spirit to it which I love and am grateful for. It is a unique painting which I found out was actually a photograph first. Also it apparently is a famous picture that many churches use in their buildings. Since starting this entry I’ve looked it up because for some reason I’ve never done it before and upon starting this was perplexed at why I never had. I love its antique feel, the warmth of its spirit and simply the genuine look of the man within the portrait. The photographer, Enstrom, said after years of photography and thousands of professional pictures that this was his best and favorite of them all. It is not hard to see why. It truly captures something that is very special, and this type of special only comes along once in a great while because it is hard to capture in just the right way. If not done just in the ideal method a photo trying to catch something like “Grace” will turn out quite ambiguous and negatively contradictory. This type of thing has to be captured ultimately genuinely and sincerely and from the story of its design I believe it was. It truly is a remarkable portrait and I am grateful for it and the genuine spirit it brings to my room. Thank you Eric Enstrom for your touch in the art of photography, I admire your abilities and hope to capture photos of like feel. I will always look on it with a grateful heart because in my opinion “grateful” is the overall feel of the specific man and this wonderful piece of art.