Kendra Parrish Burton- ART Biography

The creative process has long been part of Kendra’s life. She received her college education at both BYU and ISU. Prior to branching out into the fine arts field, she worked as an architectural draftsman for seven years at her father’s firm. There she learned about perspective, three dimensional design, and rendering. Kendra also feels that studying the original artwork of the Masters in person at museums in Europe, New York, Washington D.C., etc. has been a great inspiration and influence on her life and on her work.

In addition, she believes that studying directly with noted artists from around the world has given her work great diversity. Instructors who influenced her include: Daniel Green, Zhang Wen Xin, Sergei Bongart, Ovanes and Galust Berberian, Vladimir Medenica, Thomas Kinkade, Jim Wilcox, Harley Brown, William Whitaker, Michael Malm, Carolyn Anderson, Albin Veselka, Ron Lucas, Mary Carole, Dorothy Warr, Sharon Butikofer, Frank Covino, Don Ricks, Linda Curley Christensen, Julie Rogers and Anne Marie Burton Oborn.

Kendra was the television instructor for an oil painting program filmed at KTVX which was also shown on KUED. Another series of instructional videos was filmed at Cable One. These programs were distributed nationally. She continues to teach many workshops and classes, which she has done for over 40 years, because she enjoys helping others to discover their own creativity.

Kendra hosted a series of nationally distributed Art Instruction video programs filmed at KUTV. Later, she completed a series of instructional oil painting programs shown on public television. Kendra has taught many seminars, workshops and classes through the years because she enjoys helping others discover their own creativity.

Much of Kendra’s inspiration comes from personal experiences. One of her twin daughters was born severely handicapped with hydrocephalus and was never able to walk, talk or eat (being fed through a tube all nine years of her life). Kendra gained insight through this and she seeks to focus on bringing light to those who may be dealing with difficult challenges.

Kendra received “People’s Choice Award” for her Compassionate Christ painting at the Inspirational Art Association Show. Compassionate Christ is included in the book, “Hear Him” and is on the cover of the book “The Life of Jesus”. Also, her life-sized painting titled Jesus Heals was recognized in a preview unveiling on ABC-4-Utah television and received a “People’s Choice Award” at the Salt Palace during the International Parliament of the World’s Religions with nearly 10,000 people attending. Various news or radio stations have interviewed Kendra and have featured her on their programs.

Her work was juried into the Spring Salon and Spiritual/Religious art shows at the Springville Museum of Fine Art, Covenant Artists, and Inspirational Art Association, Gospel in Art shows, etc.  She has pieces published in the Ensign Magazine, LDS Living, Occasions Greeting Card company, books and song covers as well as in Fine Art Editions.

Kendra’s work hangs on the walls of The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Little Sisters of the Poor Convents in St. Louis and Delaware, the Blessed Sacrament School, St. Joseph’s Convent of India and in personal collections on all seven continents around the world. Kendra’s art was shown during the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Broadcast and on History of the Saints television program.

She’s been a featured guest for art signings and painting demonstrations at the BYU Bookstore in Provo, BYU-I in Rexburg, Deseret Book stores, The Nauvoo Inn, Illinois, The Liahona Bookstore, The Greg Olsen Gallery, Boise, and the Repartee Gallery, Salt Lake City.

Kendra is also a inspirational speaker, sharing her personal experiences through stories, art and music. She has spoken to U of U medical students, the State Legislature, Families Supporting Adoption, Primary Children’s Hospital volunteers and many civic, church and school groups in several states. She and her husband were guest panelists on the television program, Living Essentials shown for several years on KBYU. Her paintings have raised benefits for the Adoption Exchange, the Run for a Cancer Cure, NAMI, and the Utah Lung Association. Kendra was called on two art missions. She also served as a member of the Cottonwood Heights City Arts Council curating and organizing a show of over 150 pieces of art in several mediums.

It has been a highlight of her life to work with Greg and Linda Curley Christensen on 12 temple murals including: Finland, Panama, Draper, Oquirrh Mountain, San Salvador, Honduras, Fresno, Kona, Philadelphia, Baton Rouge, Meridian and Idaho Falls (renovation).

Kendra and her husband, Dave, are the parents of 5 children and 14 grandchildren.

Kendra Parrish Burton- MUSIC Biography

Kendra is the eldest of 5 daughters. At an early age Kendra studied piano, guitar, violin, dance and voice. When she and her sisters were teenagers, they composed and recorded several original songs as part of a record album. They won top honors on regional television talent shows and competitions including the Ted Mack Show and the Eugene Jelesnick Talent Showcase. They also performed in Europe and at the 1974 World’s Fair in Spokane, Washington.

When Kendra attended college she continued to study guitar, piano, voice and art.  She taught guitar classes and lessons for several years.

One of Kendra’s twin daughters, Rachel, was born medically fragile with hydrocephalus and was never able to walk, talk or eat (being fed through a tube all nine years of her life). This experience greatly influenced Kendra’s art and music. She composed a collection of songs dedicated to this life changing journey called “Expressions of Healing” and her husband, Dave, orchestrated the instrumentation. Kendra composed other songs that were included in a collection called “Expressions of Life”.

Kendra’s composition, “The Homeland” has a melody that is reminiscent of Old England and even Ancient Israel. The orchestrated song was scored by her father-in-law, Gene Burton, and performed by the Wasatch Symphony at the Salt Lake Presbyterian Cathedral.

She also wrote music to several poems, including one written by Candie Williams who was adopted when her parents passed away. She and her twin sister both have adopted children of their own. The song is about parents waiting to adopt a child entitled “A Special Love”.

Winefred Eyring smiled and her eyes filled with tears as she listened to her poem “Come Unto Christ” sung to music written by Kendra. Winefred said she always felt that someday her poetry would be put to music and she was happy that others would hear her inspiring words through song.

Jennifer Gabriel Peacock wrote lyrics in free verse and Kendra took on the challenge of writing music to words with a more complicated rhythm. Jennifer, with her powerful voice, later recorded the song, “Into His Arms”.

For one Mother’s Day, Kendra’s husband, Dave, wrote words to Kendra’s music. He told his mother that he was trying to be the kind of son she hoped he would be and he entitled the song, “A Witness to Mother’s Love”.  He sent a recording to her for what unknowingly became her last Mother’s Day. She passed away less than a year later.

Kendra and her husband have worked together to create several songs that use specific quotations, word for word, from the scriptures. Since there is usually no poetic rhyme, this creates a unique quality in these songs. Scriptural text compositions include: “Ye Have Done It Unto Me”, “Peace Be Unto Thy Soul”, “Come Unto Me”, and “The Lord Is My Shepherd”.

Kendra’s daughter, Rachel went through a refiner’s fire bringing many people closer to the Lord. At her funeral, her father asked people to raise their hands if they had ever been influenced in their lives to be a better person because of Rachel. Nearly 400 hands went up. Kendra wrote the words and music to the song “Refiner’s Fire” after hearing specific words and a melody she feels were sent from her daughter in heaven.

Another poem that Kendra composed music for was written by Eileen Christensen, a mother with a handicapped son. This was sung at the State Capital to legislators and a group of over 200 people by Kendra’s healthy twin daughter, Sarah, on behalf of the twin who could not speak. (Rachel passed away three weeks later). Kendra believes we are each “instruments of influence” to others around us, whether through art and music, or (like her special needs daughter) through the unspoken word.