Hand of Grace

“The darkness bows thee, wretched man! Thy struggles cloud the light thou seeks, With arm raised up for some reprieve, An anchored hand thy hand doth meet. Not earned by deed nor claimed by right, Nor earned by station or thy place. But lo! His hand outstretched for thee, The Mighty Christ! His hand of grace!” This piece represents Christ descending down to extend an anchored hand to us, to lift us out of thick and heavy darkness that can sometimes overcome us. Notice the hand reaching out is outstretched to its max, suggesting that we must do all we can, to our full extent, to meet the saving hand of our beloved Jesus Christ. As we do so, we will find He has been stretching out for us too! Reproduced from the artist's digital artwork created with Photoshop at 16 x 20. Created 2025.

I’m an artist from Utah and a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have fallen in love with art since the 4th grade, but have only started actively pursuing it professionally near the end of 2024. My name is Alan Deaton, however my artistic “pen name” is Paul Marli. This stems from a business name my wife and I created years ago which utilizes both of our middle names.  Although the name pays homage to us both, I am the artist of these pieces.

I’ve mostly worked digitally but strive to keep it close to working in a traditional way (avoiding digital effects and exclusively digital tools). I have plans to work on physical, traditional mediums as well.

I believe art has the capacity to motivate, uplift, and inspire. A piece may not change the world around us, but I believe it can change someone’s world; all it takes is the right piece! Rather than simply trying to manufacture a “pretty picture”, my aim is for my art to be instructive. It is my hope that someone who spends time with my pieces gains a deeper understanding about a characteristic or attribute of Jesus Christ; that they understand a little more about His true nature.

I have a testimony and sure knowledge of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. My art is one of my ways I hope to spread and share my testimony with others. I do my best to draw on my own personal experiences when composing a piece and creating the “right” title. Sometimes I’ll spend hours trying to get it just right, but I will not move forward until I feel it is right.

Each piece I make contains a part of my own testimony and experience with the Savior. It is my hope that my pieces can give you, at least a little, your own precious experiences with Him.

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