Pearls of Grace Fine Art Prints is a new company producing Giclee Prints of Catholic art by Melissa Dayton. The paintings reflect moments of grace, peace, joy and God's mercy, with light and color reminiscent of old masters.

It was another wonderful year for our family and Pearls of Grace. The prints are all over the world. We even found out that  St. Michael is in the tent of a General in Iraq. We started out in January a little rough, life is not always easy or simple. Lent was a truly blessed time in our home. We experienced true sacrifice that led to beautiful blessings. Again we are in awe of the abundant gifts God has brought to us. Our family welcomed Matthew Francis, our child, on November 14th, 2007. He is beautiful and we are speechless once again at Gods awesome creation and the joy brought to our family each time we have a baby.

‘Moses’ was the first painting I did last winter. He is the cover art for Laurie Manhardt and Father Joseph Ponessa’s latest scripture study book ‘Moses and the Torah’.  In between some portraits I was honored to paint a pastel that was used for the ‘Michaels Feat’ resource room at our local hospital. The organization wanted to have a room for families who had a child in the NICU.  They have access to the internet, TV, sofas, coffee, snacks, a private bathroom and a play area for the siblings. Photographs of preemie babies hang on the walls as well as the painting of a boardwalk, sand dunes and butterflies. Families can have butterflies with their babies names on them placed on the mural.

Soon after that I had time to paint ‘Good Friday’. We had a very sad death in our town during those weeks. A little 9 year old boy was killed, everyone was stricken with grief. We all felt like the woman in the painting. Then there was the light that shows in the sky. It was while I was painting Good Friday that I found out I was pregnant with Matthew. Pretty soon I was far too sick to paint anymore. So the easel went away and summer arrived.
 

Our summer is beach and beach and more beach (we are blessed to be less than a mile away). This summer we spent weekends traveling to one of our son’s soccer games. My husband worked long hours and before we knew it, school was back in session and I was quite large.
 

Escort to God on display at The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC.

Labor Day weekend ‘Escort to God’ began an 18-month tour of the country with The Sacred Arts Foundation. The show started at The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. Check out the ministry page to see if the painting is close to you. What an honor to have a painting a part of a show with some amazing artists.

 I am very excited about a song my musician friend Laurie Collins wrote for 'Escort to God'. She and I attend the same Bible study, and after class one day she asked what I thought about a song. Of course I said yes. The result is awesome!  Click here to listen to  'Escort to God; When I Lost you'  or Click here to hear other awesome music by Laurie, or purchase her CD..   She is a wonderful woman with a great passion for life and God. You can hear her podcast interview with Lisa Hendly if you click here.

In October I flew to Michigan to film an interview on ‘The Choices We Face’. (So much for vanity, being on television 8-months pregnant is a great lesson in humility. There is no ‘good side’.). The show was supposed to be about the art, but much of it is about ‘our story’. Art for me is a talent. It is a visible gift that God uses to put me ‘out there’. It is a path to other gifts that He has given me. The story of how my husband and I started has led to the beautiful life of faith my husband and I share. No matter what I am asked to talk about, it is insignificant compared to the wonders God has worked in my life and marriage. It was also a wonderful two days alone before the baby.

Matthew was born the second week in November. What a joy to have a baby after 4 years, and a boy!  After 2 girls in a row we had too much pink. Now Christmas is over and I am about to begin painting the cover for the Come and Sees latest Bible study ‘Acts of the Apostles’. I have again, wonderful models. Please pray I am able to paint with a baby in a sling!   Have a wonderful year!   Blessings Melissa

The newest Dayton arrived in November!