Artist's Bio :: Contact

I view each work of art I create as a dream. My scenes are not real, yet they are based in reality. Because most of my artwork is inspired by true relationships and interactions with both people and nature, I regularly have vision for paintings while I am praying, dreaming or just feeling an intense emotion. I create my artwork visually to look like each scene is inside of a dream. Sometimes when I experience loneliness or depression, I close my eyes and try to make sense of and envision that feeling. Just as we subconsciously dream our realities in strange ways, my paintings are visual statements of how and what I dream.

From August 2009 through June of 2010, I served as a missionary on The World Race (kendrabaird.theworldrace.org). This trip confirmed my desire and call to paint, and to create works of art that are inspired by God and that speak the truth of Jesus. Now that I am equipped with a world of experience and inspiration, I am beginning to incorporate my old style of painting with these new themes and ideas that I draw from my faith.

Though each painting has its own unique personality, many of them contain similar subject matter such as landscapes, architectural scenes coupled with birds in nature, and rain scenes which each portray a range of emotions. The landscapes generally speak a sense of peace and comfort. The architectural scenes speak to the contrast of everyday drab, hopeless, structured life, with the birds in nature representing hope and life among a dead world. And the rain scenes portray both discomfort and sadness, and the awareness that we are protected from those emotions because of what the umbrellas represent.

My paintings, all created with acrylic paints, though with typical subject matter, are usually viewed through the same type of 'vignette' that I first create on each piece. It's like I create the mood of each piece before I create any subject within it, in the same way that a director chooses to play music during the opening credits of a movie to make you feel a certain way before they ever introduce the first character.

I also use similar color schemes to call attention to what is happening in a piece of art. Typically this is a sepia-toned background or entirely monochromatic scene with splashes of color to introduce hope and light into the piece. Like real life, my work is often dim and drab at first sight, but always has splashes or moments of bright light and color that give the piece its meaning.