From her meticulously organized studio in Woodland Hills, Utah County, Latter-day Saint artist Rose Datoc Dall creates vivid religious artwork that transports viewers to biblical scenes - from a humble stable in Bethlehem to the bustling streets of Jerusalem. The Filipina American artist has dedicated her career to what she calls her life's mission: painting the life of Jesus Christ with historical accuracy and contemporary artistic techniques.
"I kind of feel like that's what I'm here to do, to paint the life of Jesus," Dall explains from her tidy studio workspace. Her unique approach combines modern art techniques borrowed from film with scriptural stories infused with faith, creating a distinctive style that has earned recognition throughout Utah's religious art community.
Emily Larsen, executive director of the Springville Museum of Art, considers Dall among Utah's most significant religious artists. "Rose is one of the most important artists working in religious art in Utah right now," Larsen states. "Her work is really unique and has a really unique point of view. She's technically masterful." Larsen explains that Dall draws audiences through realism, painting flat planes of color that give her work a distinctive graphic quality.
Dall's artistic vision stems from her background in cinematography, which nearly led her to become a filmmaker. "You plan your shots. You plan your compositions," she explains. "It's like in storyboarding. That really appealed to the way my brain works." This cinematic approach allows her to visualize each painting through a director's lens, carefully crafting compositions that tell compelling visual stories.
The artist's career pivot toward religious themes began in 2008 when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church History Museum hosted an international art competition. Dall decided to participate and created one of her signature pieces, "Flight," depicting Mary and Joseph taking the infant Jesus to Egypt. The painting received widespread acclaim and launched her new artistic direction.
"A lot of things came together," Dall reflects. "I could sort of marry contemporary art sensibilities with religious subject matter. This is sort of the painting that launched my career." The positive reception convinced her to focus primarily on religious artwork, moving away from the secular themes she had previously explored.
Dall's distinctive style blends contemporary techniques with ancient scriptural narratives, often employing bold shapes and contrasting colors she describes as "sunrise and sunset colors" to highlight specific details and figures. This approach is vividly demonstrated in "Bread of Life (Command These Stones)," now owned by the Springville Museum of Art. The piece depicts Satan tempting a fasting Christ to turn stones into bread, using darker blue hues around the subjects contrasted against a bright, stunning yellow background.
While not everyone appreciates her artistic style, Dall remains comfortable with varied reactions. "I'm OK if people don't relate to my paintings. That's what happens," she says, acknowledging that art involves personal interpretation and connection. She experienced this principle firsthand with one of her own works, "Woman of Faith," a New Testament portrayal of a woman with an issue of blood.
After painting the piece approximately five times, Dall never felt satisfied with her subject until she was diagnosed with cancer. "I love this image because she could be us at any given time," the artist explains. "I felt like that woman. Do I have the faith to be healed? Or do I have the faith not to be healed?" Following her full recovery, Dall gained deeper understanding of how her art can minister to people of faith.
"Most people are on the edge of crisis," Dall observes. "I feel like the more personal I make these paintings, the more universal they end up being." This philosophy drives her meticulous preparation process, which begins long before her first brushstroke touches canvas.
Dall's preparation involves extensive storyboarding for each painting, photographing models to study facial expressions and angles, and creating maquettes - small-scale clay figures modeled with correct shapes and lighting for the final product. Her husband, Tim Dall, describes the thorough research process: "There's a lot of research that goes on - conceptualizing, visualizing the layout. And when she does religious art, she wants it to be historically accurate."
This commitment to historical accuracy led Dall to portray Jesus with authentic Semitic features, a decision she first implemented in 2020. "I kind of took this risk," she recalls about posting the image on Instagram. "I put it out there - and didn't know how people would respond." The positive viewer response encouraged her continued use of historically accurate depictions.
In another bold artistic move, Dall accepted a commission to paint Heavenly Mother for the 2020 book "A Boy's Guide to Heavenly Mother." While Latter-day Saints believe Father in Heaven has a wife, Mother in Heaven, the doctrine can be sensitive even among faithful church members. "This was a real struggle," Dall admits. "At first I was going to paint her by herself, but then I just felt stuck. I was like, 'What am I trying to say? I have so little information on her.'"
She ultimately decided to paint what she knew, depicting the divine couple as creators of the universe in "Worlds Without Number." The response proved overwhelmingly positive, with another Heavenly Mother painting, "The Veil Is Beginning to Burst," becoming her best-selling work. "I kept getting orders and orders of this image," Dall explains. "And, for whatever reason, women really responded to this. The acknowledgment of Heavenly Mother means that it further validates your own divine nature and your own worth."
As Dall continues creating religious artwork that bridges contemporary techniques with ancient faith, her reputation and influence as an artist continue growing, establishing her as a significant voice in modern religious art.
