We all have those days. The days when the kids are fighting, the laundry is never-ending, and the to-do list keeps growing. In the noise of those days, peace can feel just out of reach. For the employees and artists at Altus Fine Art, we've had to learn that creating a Christ-centered home isn't about perfection. It's about finding small, meaningful ways to redirect our thoughts and intentions toward the Savior.
That is why we are so moved by one of our newest artists, Kristin Alley Carver.
As a mother, she understands trying to navigate the beautiful chaos of raising a family while keeping her own identity as an artist and her faith alive. Her collection represents a fresh perspective on modern Christian wall art, blending contemporary aesthetics with a deep, personal testimony. Her wall art brings a warm minimalist approach to sacred subjects. It's perfect for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and their families seeking peaceful home decor that invites the Spirit without overwhelming a space.
Art as a Spiritual Practice
Kristin Alley Carver's approach to LDS artwork isn't just about creating beautiful pieces for your walls. It's about the spiritual journey that happens in the making of each relief print.
"I felt like I was losing myself in the laundry and the dishes, and I needed to find a way to speak back to God. Art became that language for me," Kristin shares.
Her story will resonate with many mothers, and honestly, with anyone who has struggled to maintain their sense of self while serving others. After struggling to start a family and believing she needed to give up artwork entirely to focus on motherhood, Kristin felt that loss deeply. It wasn't until a college mentor reached out and encouraged her to be involved in a project that she picked up her tools and started to create again.
“Integrating art back into my life has been vulnerable and often laced with more guilt. Overwhelmingly, though, I feel more full and connected to my eternal purpose. I can and am called to be both things, a mother and an artist.”
Today, her husband and children are her biggest fans. She views her work as an "essential daily practice," using the time when she is creating artwork to answer personal questions, record spiritual impressions, and find a sense of balance and individuality as a mother. This authentic struggle and integration of faith, motherhood, and art is what makes her Latter-day Saint wall art so meaningful.
An Unexpected Path to Art
Born and raised in the mountains of Utah, Kristin grew up surrounded by a landscape that continues to inform the organic textures and natural elements in her relief prints. Those mountain silhouettes, the play of light through trees, the strength of stone, all of these show up in subtle ways throughout her Christian wall art.
When Kristin went to school, she intended to pursue a career in nursing to follow in the footsteps of her parents, who are both medical professionals. But after a few art classes, she realized her true "language" for connecting with the world was visual arts. She graduated from Utah State University (USU) with degrees in both Fine Art and Special Education.
That dual education speaks to who Kristin is, someone who cares about people, about teaching, about communicating in ways that reach others where they are. You can see that care in every piece of LDS home decor she creates.
You can learn more about Kristin's journey and see her creative process in action in her BYUtv Artful episode, which offers a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at her work.
Relief Printmaking: Carving Away to Find Light
If you aren't familiar with relief printmaking, it is a beautiful and physical process of creating art. Kristin starts with a solid block of linoleum or wood and carves away the highlights and negative space. The raised parts that are left behind catch the ink that is rolled onto them, and then she presses that onto the paper, finally revealing the completed image.
In relief printing, you aren't adding color. You are actually focused on where the light gets to shine through.
She calls this process "mark making" and says, "There is something very spiritual about looking for the light in a dark piece of wood or linoleum."
It's a beautiful metaphor for faith. Just like her art, finding the Savior's light often requires us to intentionally carve away the "negative space" in our lives that distracts us from what matters most.
Kristin's relief prints quite literally reveal where the light shines through, both in her artistic process and in the spiritual themes she explores.
"Art has given me the ability to transform, reveal, and highlight the beautiful and miraculous. It is my personal and most powerful connection to divinity," Kristin explains.
If you're interested in learning more about the relief printmaking technique, this guide to relief printing offers a helpful overview of the process.
Kristin Alley Carver's LDS Wall Art Collection
Kristin's collection brings a fresh, modern approach to traditional Christian subjects. Her relief print style creates pieces that feel both contemporary and timeless, perfect for families who want Christ-centered home decor that fits a more minimalist or modern aesthetic. Each piece is available as a matted and framed print, with quality giclee printing that faithfully captures the depth of her original relief prints.
Held
This tender piece shows both Mary holding baby Jesus and Mary holding Christ right after his crucifixion. The dual meaning in this single image is profound, depicting the full circle of a mother's love and sacrifice. The organic textures and intentional negative space create a sense of both peace and sorrow, holding the weight of a mother who gave her son to save the world.
This Is My Beloved Son
"I find a lot of inspiration in thinking about the untold, underrepresented experiences and feelings of women throughout religious history," Kristin shares. "In this piece, I imagine the feelings of both our Heavenly Mother and Mary at offering up 'Their Beloved Son' to a human experience and ultimately, as a willing sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind."
This piece captures the reverence and wonder of Christ's birth, while acknowledging the profound sacrifice that began in that moment. Kristin's relief print technique brings a unique depth to the scene, with rays of light seemingly emanating from the Christ child.
In this Life I Shall Have Joy
"This piece is a celebration of Eve and her partaking & giving of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge to Adam," Kristin explains. "This act, shamed throughout history, has been used as justification to treat women as less than, flawed, weak, simple, delicate. I have a deep love for Mother Eve. This act, I believe, was performed in strength and knowing, not weakness, but courage."
Kristin continues: "She left comfort, ease, the literal presence of God, to make our earthly existences possible, our opportunity for progression and exaltation. Heartache, pain, loss, tragedy, exhaustion, loneliness, costs we know from our life experience, bear witness to the peace, love, protection, rest, joy, and glory that is the presence of God."
This powerful piece reframes Eve's choice as an act of strength and vision, honoring the mother of all living.
O Save
"I've always loved the image of multitudes waving palms as Jesus passed by, finally recognizing Him as the promised Messiah," Kristin explains. "As they waved, they shouted Hosanna, a word I've said many times and heard even more. Never have I really known its meaning until a footnote met my eye that would forever change the word for me. It simply means 'O Save.'"
This piece captures that desperate, hopeful plea for saving grace that we all need, transforming a familiar word into a deeply personal prayer.
Holding Grief and Hope
"Struggle builds strength," Kristin reflects. "It makes you get on your knees and really communicate day and night with someone you hope is there. Someone you find is there. If you come to Christ's table, he's gonna fill your plate."
This deeply moving piece acknowledges that grief and hope can coexist, reflecting the complexity of the human experience and our reliance on divine comfort. It's a powerful reminder that our struggles can lead us closer to the Savior.
Hoc Est Opus Meum Et Gloria Meum (This Is My Work and My Glory)
"Despite the vital and historical importance of the atoning sacrifice by our Savior, taboo surrounding the cross and crucifixion remains in my culture," Kristin explains. "Inspired by centuries of representations, especially those found in beautiful Catholic cathedrals, I desired to create an image of the crucifixion for my community that honors this tradition and incorporates the beauty of restored doctrine."
At the base of the cross are the words "Hoc Est Opus Meum Et Gloria Meum," Latin for "This Is My Work and My Glory" (Moses 1:39). The halo surrounding Jesus holds the masses (each of us) upon His arms, witnessing His sacrifice on our behalf. In creamy white and low contrast, the masses continue, receding into the background to emphasize the infinite and personal nature of Christ's atonement.
Reaching
"I had this very clear picture of a woman on a ladder climbing up into a tree, and this motherly hand is offering the fruit of the tree of life," Kristin shares. "The woman is reaching toward that piece of fruit that is held by the hand. It loops back to the left side of the frame, where the mother has turned toward this void and is crying happy tears, and this hand is a reunion. I love this connection between a child, a daughter of god, and her heavenly mother."
Kristin's sweet daughter modeled for the woman going up the tree, adding a deeply personal element to this touching depiction of divine maternal love and reunion.
Each of these works showcases Kristin's signature style: the interplay of light and shadow, the organic mountain-inspired textures, and the warm minimalist approach that makes her Christian wall art so distinctive.
Kristin’s Work in Your Home
At Altus Fine Art, we've always been committed to offering home decor that helps families create Christ-centered spaces. Kristin Alley Carver's work represents exactly what we look for in our artists: someone whose personal testimony and spiritual journey are inseparable from their creative work.
Her modern approach to religious subjects fills a need we've seen in our community. Many families today want peaceful home decor that reflects their faith but fits a more contemporary aesthetic. They're looking for Latter-day Saint wall art that their teenagers won't roll their eyes at, that feels authentic rather than mass-produced, and that invites contemplation rather than demanding attention.
Kristin's relief prints do exactly that. Her warm minimalist style speaks especially to mothers navigating their own journeys of faith and identity, and to anyone drawn to clean lines and uncluttered spaces. If you're interested in exploring more artwork for Christian women, browse our collection of art celebrating women and motherhood.
Whether you're drawn to her story as a mother and artist, captivated by the unique beauty of relief printmaking, or simply looking for peaceful Christian wall art that fits your home's aesthetic, we invite you to explore Kristin's collection.
We’re also continuously working to add more of her pieces to our shop. The process of capturing relief prints through giclee printing is detailed work, and Kristin is always creating, so there’s always something new on the horizon. Follow her on Instagram @kristinalleycarver to see works in progress and get a preview of pieces coming to our collection.
As Kristin reminds us through her work, there is something deeply spiritual about looking for the light. May her art help you find and recognize that light in your own home and life.