Lester Yocum

Lester Yocum is an award-winning Mormon artist and author. He is best well-known for his painting titled While Mary Sleeps.
Early Years
Yocum was born in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.A. in 1954. He completed his two-year degree studying music and art at Ricks College, Idaho, then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Taipei, Taiwan, which he completed honorably. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1981 and met his future wife, Tamara Vanderwall, while there.
After completing his time with the Air Force, he became a web designer, and has been creating works of art in his spare time since then.
Artwork
Yocum has experimented with many forms of art, but has specialized in oil paint and in digital artwork. Most of his recent artwork has been religious in nature, including his most famous piece While Mary Sleeps, which tells a story about Joseph as the man who helped Mary raise Jesus Christ. He has painted many stories from the Bible (such as the Crucifixion) and the Book of Mormon (including such stories as Alma and Amulek's escape from prison).
Some of his artwork is less serious in nature, including his "Mousie with a Dewdrop" and his Flying Pigs calendar series, which can be seen here.
As of August, 2014, he posts much of his artwork on his website. Some original pieces are for sale, and prints can be purchased at imagekind.
Books
Yocum has published four books, which include The Christmas Orange and the Welltower trilogy.
The Christmas Orange is an illustrated children's story that explains the true meaning of Christmas.
Welltower is a series of science fiction books that describe a dystopian future and explores possible solutions to it.
Award-Winning Art
Yocum maintains a list of award-winning art on his website. They are listed here, with links to the competitions that they won when available.
* While Mary Sleeps, People's Choice Award, LDS Eighth International Art Competition, 2012
* Pensive, Merit Award, 2014 Easter Art Show on Temple Square
* Daughter of Jairus, Certificate of Merit, Society of Illustrators-Los Angeles “Illustration West 50” show, Gallery Nucleus, Los Angeles, March 2012.
* Nephi and Laban, Merit Award Winner, Fifth International Art Competition, Museum of Church History and Art, Salt Lake City, Utah

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