Millions of people recognize the religious painting know as Head of Christ, of which an estimated five hundred million prints have been sold. Very few, however, know the artist, Warner E. Sallmann. Sallman's lack of notoriety in professional art circles can be explained by the fact that he made little or no attempt to put himself forward as a Chicago or even a Swedish American artist. He had no exhibitions of his works, and his public life consisted largely of appearances before church and community groups to do chalk drawings. More important was his attitude regarding personal fame. Sallman let the Christ he painted be in the foreground, while the artist remained in the background. "The time has come," argues Jack Lundbom, "for a broader public to know the man who stands behind the painting and the other artwork bearing the Sallman signature." Master Painter is a fascinating story of a gifted man with humble beginnings who overcame disappointment, ill health, and personal limitations in order to live out a vision: that his art serve not only for the enjoyment of humankind, but the practical end of instructing persons in the ways of God. Readers who know the art can now know the artist. It is a story eminently worth telling and one a broad public will be interested to know.

Brando "Good Life News" Interview Joe: ..."The Master Painter" describe the book tell us what it's about. Brando: It's actually a novel that contains Villains, Cowboys, and Indians and takes place out here in Arizona. Joe: Excellent Brando: My Grandfather he was kind of the inspiration for that, he was an artistic man and he lived here in a small town in Arizona for 100 years, he just died this past February. He was the inspiration for my novel and for the title "The Master Painter". The Master Painter was actually an Apache trained painter and they deal with some spiritual arts, not everything that you see meets the eye. Joe: Right. Brando: So there is some intrigue there in the book, a young boy becomes his apprentice and it's taking place during 1931 which was the year of the Great Depression and a lot of businesses were closing people were losing their homes and the nation was in an economic crisis. In the book the Master Painter paints a magical painting which the young boy the apprentice can reach into and take out as much wealth as he needs whenever he needs it he describes it as taking a cold drink of water from a mountain stream that's never ending. Joe: Excellent Brando: There are of course the cunning villains who are trying to steal the painting. There's a comedy duo team which I attribute to Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello which try to help the apprentice locate the Master Painters painting after he mysteriously disappears. Joe: Excellent, excellent. Brando: There are also a few science fiction parts thrown in there with some creatures that call themselves, "The Watchers of Prisoners" so there are a lot of elements in this book which people might find interesting Joe.

Millions of people recognize the religious painting know as Head of Christ, of which an estimated five hundred million prints have been sold. Very few, however, know the artist, Warner E. Sallmann. Sallman's lack of notoriety in professional art circles can be explained by the fact that he made little or no attempt to put himself forward as a Chicago or even a Swedish American artist. He had no exhibitions of his works, and his public life consisted largely of appearances before church and community groups to do chalk drawings. More important was his attitude regarding personal fame. Sallman let the Christ he painted be in the foreground, while the artist remained in the background. "The time has come," argues Jack Lundbom, "for a broader public to know the man who stands behind the painting and the other artwork bearing the Sallman signature." Master Painter is a fascinating story of a gifted man with humble beginnings who overcame disappointment, ill health, and personal limitations in order to live out a vision: that his art serve not only for the enjoyment of humankind, but the practical end of instructing persons in the ways of God. Readers who know the art can now know the artist. It is a story eminently worth telling and one a broad public will be interested to know.