Hailed as a “New Master” by his peers, figurative artist J. Kirk Richards is becoming a legend in his own time. Admirers are astonished by his expressive realism, elegant composition, and brilliant representation of light in primarily Judæo-Christian themes. Not all of his paintings are overtly religious but many of his themes stem from spiritual ideas and narratives. Having studied with nationally acclaimed artists James Christenson, Wulf Barsh, Bruce Smith, and Swiss-born symbolist painter, Patrick Denovas, Kirk’s artistic background is anything but ordinary. He attributes some of his classical “Old Master” style to a two-year hiatus from college in Rome, L’Aquila and on the island of Sardinia. In 2002, at age twenty-five, Kirk was the youngest of 220 artists (painstakingly chosen from roughly 10,000) to display work at the 2002 Winter Olympics Show in Springville, Utah. Recent awards include: 1^st Place: 80^th Annual Spring Salon at the Springville Museum of Art; Purchase Award: 2003 LDS Church Museum International Art Competition, Salt Lake City; 1^st Place winner: 2003 Boult, Cummings, Conners, Berry PLC holiday art competition; 2003 Tennessee Arts League Members Award: Central South Art Exhibition; Best Painting: 2002 Tennessee Renaissance Center Annual Juried Art Exhibition; and Director’s Choice: 2000 Springville Religious Art Show. Richards works in a surprising variety of styles. Most of his paintings exhibit a love for the human figure, general use of symbolism and metaphor, and an emphasis on lyric composition. His work can be found in public and private collections across the country.