Alabama artist uses talent for God’s glory

The canvas may be void and lifeless when he approaches it, but give William Hallmark time and a myriad of rich colors start to emerge — paintings that convey more than a beautiful image.
   
While Hallmark is very much an artist, his craft is also a ministry because of the message in his paintings.
   
“I love to paint spiritual paintings,” said the Birmingham native. “I don’t know why. … I know the Lord’s working through me.”
   
Hallmark’s passion for art has led to the creation of a series of oil paintings, many of which include lions as their subjects. But it is the religious message in all of his paintings that has gained him national acclaim. He has appeared on numerous television programs including the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club.”
   
Hallmark is selling 23 of his original oil paintings in an effort to raise a quarter-million dollars for charity. The sale is being held through April 30 at Deck the Walls in the Galleria in Birmingham.
   
The artist will donate all proceeds from the sale of his most recognizable painting, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” and “The Lamb” to Advocate Ministries in Irondale, which helps individuals escape from the influence of the occult and cults. He said 40 percent from the sale of other originals will go to Wales Goebel Ministries in Cahaba Heights, which provides shelter and counseling for troubled teenagers and unwed mothers.
   
Hallmark knew at the age of 16 he wanted to be an artist. The realization he would use his talent for ministry would come eight years later. It was what he calls “the miracle that happened in my life” that led to the marriage of artwork and ministry.
   
“There was a point in my life when I really needed the Lord to intervene,” said Hallmark, who now calls Southside near Gadsden home. He and his wife, Jessica, attend Southside Baptist Church, Gadsden. “I asked Him to give me an image that would touch people.”
   
That prayer led Hallmark to create “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah.”
   
Hallmark describes his painting as a lion with a crown of thorns that symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ. Interpreting the painting, he said Jesus is known not only as a lion and the rock of our salvation, but also as a lamb.
   
He still recalls the passion that went into creating the painting. “I spent months agonizing over the face expression trying to get it right,” he said.
   
Despite his hard work, the artist wasn’t pleased with his effort. “I said, ‘’No, no one’s going to want this,’ ” he said.
   
It was when his friends saw the painting that fate began to intervene. Their reaction was different from Hallmark’s, with his friends urging him to sign the painting.
   
“I didn’t realize it would touch people as much as it did,” Hallmark said.
   
Finding a vendor to market the painting initially proved a roadblock.
   
“They thought it was too strong,” Hallmark said. “I had many rejections from vendors.”
   
They did find favor with a painting of a girl holding a lamb that Hallmark described as “a real Southern, cute painting.” Hoping to find success with selling that painting, he said they decided to also market “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” as a courtesy to Hallmark.
   
A month later Hallmark starting getting calls requesting not prints of the “real Southern, cute painting,” but the one Hallmark and vendors were wary of initially.
   
The painting was the first of many religious-themed artwork Hallmark would create, with a limited edition print of “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” selling for more than $2,500 in secondary markets.
   
The greatest satisfaction Hallmark receives from his work is the reaction to his paintings.
To hear his wife tell the story, the artist is somewhat of a perfectionist. “He is very absorbed, very focused,” she said.
   
She still remembers the awe she felt the first time she watched her husband paint.
   
“When I first started watching William paint, I was amazed at how he was constantly mixing colors,” she said. “Sometimes he will dip his brush in 13 different colors to get that right shade. I didn’t realize it was so labor intensive.”
   
Often, Mrs. Hallmark will become a collaborator in Hallmark’s creations as he looks to her for evaluation. “He lets me critique, because he knows I’ll be honest,” she said. Along with using his artistic talent, Hallmark believes he is also fulfilling his Christian responsibility through his art.“My faith means I need to try to serve the Lord as best I can and to strive to be more like Jesus,” Hallmark said. “That’s what I feel is a Christian’s duty.”
   
Hallmark accepted Christ when he was 9. But difficult times lay ahead for the future artist because of a learning disability and what he said was a major speech impediment. “That was overshadowed by any Christian walk when I was younger,” he said. “Just to get through school was pretty rough.”The constant struggle at school led Hallmark to drop out of Huffman High School in Birmingham at 16.
    
He eventually earned his general educational development certificate and began attending classes at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham.It was there that a professor encouraged him to pursue his love of art, pointing out that he didn’t need a college degree to be an artist.“If you knew me  you’d think, ‘’he doesn’t talk about Jesus all the time. He doesn’t wear it on his sleeve,’”  Hallmark said. Despite that, Hallmark said he likes to find symbolic messages in the Bible that he can depict in his paintings.