Mr. Guilford is often inspired by biblical sources. He feels that there is a "spiritual famine in society today." People, he says, are, "feeding the body, not the spirit and as a result one is obese but the other is anorexic." Through his own spiritual journeys, he took a hard look at his own life and work. While he had previously viewed his art as his mark upon the world, he came to realize that what he needed to leave behind was not a legacy of art but a legacy of love. Samuel now sees his art as a way to communicate his understanding in the hope that he may guide others.
     Mr. Guilford's best-known work is Covenant. The highly personal subject is his father's commitment to God. Mr. Guilford explains that, "because of my father's covenant with God, my family has been blessed with many miracles." William Benjamin Guilford is shown looking off into the distance at a house in a field of sunflowers. The house recalls the one Samuel grew up in. Gazing intently out of the painting is a young man: He symbolizes the future generations who will reap the blessings of William Guilford's solid faith. To hear his son speak is to know that the father's deep faith has indeed been passed on. Samuel Guilford's paintings serve as a testimony of his own unrestrained devotion.                                                                   ■  previous