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 Henry
Shelton is a dedicated Christian artist. After a successful
career as a commercial product designer, Henrys time is now
exclusively set aside for his religious paintings.
Though he explains
"it's not easy to make a living as a Christian artist,"
his dedication to his craft is evidence of his true
motivation, a real desire to express his beliefs through his
God given talent, rather than the modern day pursuit of
material and financial gain.
Henry with the
framed original of Our Lord Jesus Christ
(larger size than prints)
Henry was born and grew up in
Stratford, East London, England. After leaving school he
served an apprenticeship in a London studio, where he
developed his skills in design and hand-drawn lettering. A
rarely required skill these days as a result of modern
technology. His Christian faith has its roots in his childhood
in the East End where he was a choirboy in West Ham Church.
The place where he first became aware of the importance of
visual art.
Henry with
original of The Crucifixion
(larger size than prints)
Henry has always painted
religious subjects, even if only for his own pleasure. Now he
has decided to share that pleasure, and his vision of
Christianity, with the wider public. He has a very happy
working relationship with Epping Studio Galleries Fine Art, an
Essex based publishing house, where Managing Director Trevor
Krueger has always wanted to promote Henry’s work. He also
believes there is a wide interest in religious themes among
Christians in both Britain and the rest of the World. "The
pictures are not mass-produced, but printed as quality Giclee
reproductions, as close to the original tonal qualities as is
currently possible”.
People tell Henry they've got
one of his pictures at the end of their hallway, where
visitors are likely to see it, thus leading to conversation
about the subject. It is this contribution to the raising of
Christian awareness that inspires him each time he stands in
front of his easel.
One of the most fascinating
facts about Henry Shelton is his ability to paint in so many
different styles, an obvious throwback to his days of training
as a commercial artist and designer. Many of his pictures have
a leaning towards the abstract but are subtle and suited to
both traditional and contemporary homes.
A recent commission was an oil
painting of the ascension for the altar of the Church of the
Saviour, Chell Heath, in Stoke-on-Trent. When he put the
painting in, a couple of years ago, the congregation all
wanted prints of the picture. So he made a small set of signed
prints and they were very successful. Epping Studio Galleries
believe there are many other people out there who would feel
the same way.
Henry also painted a series of
portraits of Bishop Trevor Huddleston and held an exhibition
at St. Dunstan’s, Stepney in London, where he was also
confirmed by the Bishop.
Two of his recent projects can
be found in Goodmayes, Essex. The new etched glass screens at
All Saints Church, and the Millennium Clock Tower situated on
a busy local junction. The clock tower was a project
spearheaded by the church, but supported by the wider
community. It bares simple inscriptions carved out of Portland
stone on each of its four sides, featuring a short verse from
the Bible. Henry is always gratified by the local enthusiasm
for his work and says "On high days and holidays people put
flowers and wreaths around the tower; it's a very visual way
of witnessing within the community."
The Revd Chris Keating, Vicar of
All Saints Church, was behind another recent project. The side
chapel of the Edwardian church has a 1940’s oak screen and Mr.
Keating asked Henry to suggest some designs to represent the
saints, in glass. Henry asked if he might instead portray the
life of Jesus - which is now quite unusual. Today, twelve
windows present a series of New Testament scenes. These
include the Madonna and Child, the young Jesus learning his
trade as a carpenter and the baptism of Christ. Each scene
etched into the fabric of the glass itself. The windows won a
DAC award for design.
Already a successful and admired
artist within Church circles he now seeks to reach people all
around the World. With this intention in mind we present the
following images for you to collect for your own private
contemplation.
We hope you enjoy this latest
set of work by Henry Shelton and that you will visit us
regularly to see what is new from this most exciting and
important talent.
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