I grew up in the middle of a cotton field in West Texas, about thirty miles southeast of San Angelo. My childhood was a mix of rural adventures, small-town school life, and a curiosity about faith that began unexpectedly: in kindergarten, I accidentally ended up at catechism at St. Ambrose Catholic Church one Wednesday after school—and kept going for the rest of the year. My family later attended a tiny Methodist church in Eola, where Sundays with just twelve to fifteen people (four of them my family!) shaped my early experience of community and faith.

Art has always been a part of my life. As a young boy, I was captivated by the work of Charles Beckendorf, and I would spend hours copying the pen and inks my grandmother had hanging on her wall. Meeting him in person around age ten was unforgettable: we ate turkey jerky together, and I watched him paint his originals. Later, during a difficult time when my mother was battling leukemia, I found solace in painting scenes of the Texas Hill Country while sitting by her bedside.

Life took me through a career in television and finance, marriage, raising three incredible children, and eventually answering the call to pastoral ministry. I earned a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Duke University, and have served five churches across the RioTexas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Today, I serve at Bethany United Methodist Church in Austin alongside my wonderful wife, Cindy, and together we are blessed to be Grammy and Papaw to two grandchildren.

My return to painting came in 2011, when a small country church I was serving asked me to paint a scene of the church for a fundraiser. The painting sold well, and requests for prints and commissions began to follow. Since then, I have painted churches, landscapes, and commissioned pieces that resonate with others. On this site, I hope to share my artwork, and occasionally reflect on the intersections of faith and creativity. If you are interested in a painting or commission, please reach out at powellartsales@gmail.com