"King of Kings" Print - Liz Hess Collection

"King of Kings" Print - Liz Hess CollectionLiz Hess Collection: Archival gicle print. Size: 16" x 20". After the release of the image and article in Lancaster Newspapers on December 3, thousands of people descended upon my gallery and contacted me through my website. The positive reaction and interest in the piece was unprecedented. I have never experienced the masses clamoring for one of my works as in this particular painting. It has taken me and my gallery team by complete surprise. I

Liz Hess Collection:

Archival giclée print.  Size:  16" x 20".

“After the release of the image and article in Lancaster Newspapers on December 3, thousands of people descended upon my gallery and contacted me through my website.  The positive reaction and interest in the piece was unprecedented.  I have never experienced the masses clamoring for one of my works as in this particular painting.  It has taken me and my gallery team by complete surprise.  I assumed that most Christians would approve of it, but it was not even on my radar that so many people from all walks of life would be interested in this piece.  I have been shipping orders all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

My preconceived notions as an artist are that religious, and especially Christian, images are not particularly well received. I have slipped a few paintings which portray my faith into the large mix of other art at my gallery, but it’s not something I emphasize in my space.

So the one time I actually let it all out, loudly and overtly, throwing all caution to the wind and allowing the Spirit to guide the creation of a painting, the masses descend upon my gallery, almost stumbling over each other to purchase a card or print of it. This is by far my top selling image of all time, which in three weeks has beat out all other popular images that I have been selling for years.  It is a bit baffling, and I can only attribute it to the lure of the King of Kings Himself.

And I can attest to customers (about every other one who came up to me at the desk to purchase) having watery eyes because they were so moved by the image.  Scores of messages came into my website or on Facebook telling me the same thing - that they were moved to tears when they saw the image.

When I painted it I was not moved to tears, but what did happen was that the entire process of creating it was a worship experience for me.  I worshiped continually as I painted it, and as I worshiped, the figures in the painting emerged worshiping.

And the image just seemed to flow out of my brushes and form itself on the canvas.  I could feel that it was not me, alone, creating this.  Just as I picked up a brush and began painting, I feel that I was simply a brush in the Master Artist’s hand.  I cannot possibly take credit for it, just as one of my brushes cannot take the credit when they are held in my hand.

I formed an intimate attachment to the painting and thought at first that I would keep it for myself.  But it was given to me, and I must give it away.

So it is with great satisfaction that I can relinquish it to the high bidder at his generous price, and know that it will benefit such a worthy charity/cause.”  -Liz Hess

(This story has also been broadcast on 1,100 radio stations in 31 countries around the globe.  To read the interview on Mission Network News (MNN), click here.)