Christian Retailing

Presidential home for author, artist's 9/11 tribute Print Email
Wednesday, 01 August 2007 08:00 PM America/New_York

Harvest House author and artist Kathryn Andrews Fincher met with President Bush last week, presenting him with her patriotic and inspirational painting, The Dream Keepers, a 30-inch-by-40-inch pastel she created in November 2001 to express how she felt about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The work, which has seven children hand-painting a large American flag on a classroom wall, features a large bloodstained handprint at the foot of an image of the cross. Although the cross was an important part of the painting's theme, Fincher said she did not intentionally create the handprint, as it appeared by accident.

After she completed the painting, Fincher began giving talks on the work as people asked her questions about the project. Fincher then had a dream, she said, in which she gave the painting to the president and the first lady. After Fincher met U.S. Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.), arrangements were made for the Duluth, Ga., resident to present the painting to Bush.

To her surprise, Fincher said, the president spent about 20 minutes with her, husband Jef and their daughters, Maggie and Kelley, during the family's July 27 visit to the Oval Office.

"I thought our visit would be less than five minutes and a quick rush to maybe tell the story behind the painting. He (Bush) didn't rush us out," said Fincher, whose God Has a Plan for Little Boys and God Has a Plan for Little Girls-which features her painting- will be released by Harvest House in January. The Oregon-based publisher released in 2005 her book, Mama Knows Best, which also featured The Dream Keepers.

Fincher said she was excited to give her painting to the president. "It's going ...where it's supposed to go," she noted. "I truly gave it away, and it has its home."