As a boy in Bluefield, West Virginia, Eddie Maxwell discovered a love for art that
would sometimes get him in trouble. Young Eddie’s parents would often find
him in the back yard with a pencil and paper attempting to capture the majesty of
the Blue Ridge Mountains, and avoiding his homework.
Eddie’s appreciation for the awe-inspiring beauty of nature was deepened by a
life of travel and creative discovery. As a young man, Maxwell joined the Army.
He traveled across the United States to Alaska where images of snowcapped
peaks and glassy lakes were forever etched in his memory.
After his years in the Army, Maxwell spent 18 years working for Norfolk and
Western Railroad, traveling the country, still getting into trouble. “Every town I
went through I had some woman…I had more women than you could shake a
stick at.”
After retiring from the railroad, Maxwell returned to the East Coast and settled in
Arlington, Virginia. His need for a creative outlet landed him in beauty school
where he studied to become a hairstylist. Eventually, Maxwell owned and
operated four beauty salons throughout Northern Virginia. He employed over 40
workers and styled the hair of numerous Pentagon employees and government
officials. He was at the top of his game with more clients than he could manage
and a Cadillac in his driveway.
Everything changed in 1989 when a severe seizure put Maxwell in the hospital
on his deathbed. The doctor’s report was bleak, so Eddie signed away his salon
business and gave up almost all hope of continued life.
Maxwell had never been a religious man, but teetering on the brink of death he
recalled the faith of his loving parents. As his last desperate hope for life, Eddie
dropped to his knees by his hospital bed. He begged God to spare him and
allow him to live. He also made a promise. He promised God that if he were
allowed to live, he would paint for the rest of his life to show people that God
exists and to give them hope.
The next day, the doctors could only shrug their shoulders in baffled
amazement. Eddie had been healed! Even his lifelong addiction to smoking was
gone. After leaving the hospital, Eddie began rebuilding his life. His new
mission was to paint. With little money for supplies, Maxwell found a dilapidated
old canvas in the garbage: an old cigarette advertisement printed on cloth. His
friends got him some paints, and he began his mission.
Eddie had soon painted over the cigarette ad with the beginnings of a
landscape painting. He went to sleep with great plans in his mind for this first
painting. Perhaps he would paint the breathtaking mountains of Alaska or maybe
a tranquil Appalachian forest scene. Unbeknownst to Eddie, other plans for his
painting would soon be revealed.
The next morning, Eddie had some friends over to his apartment to look at his
first painting. The more they looked at the painting, the more puzzled they
became. Over the course of several hours, it became more and more evident
that a miracle was occurring right before their eyes. An image of the crucifixion
was materializing in the center of the canvas with haunting clarity. Every detail
was there. His outstretched arms, the contours of his ribcage, the crown of
thorns. Even the toes on his feet were there. Eddie now knew for sure that his
prayer had been answered. He would paint for the rest of his life to show the
world that God lives and to bring them hope.
Eddie Maxwell is now 82 years old, and despite his frailty, he still paints
feverously through the night several times per week. It has been almost 20
years since his mission was established. He is still painting with as much
passion and fire as the day the crucifixion appeared on one of his canvases.
The work that he is creating today speaks for itself. Maxwell is a modern master
who creates unique and vibrant works that capture the attention of individuals
from all walks of life. Both novice art collectors and veterans of the arts
industry recognize Maxwell’s talent and admire his devotion to his gift.
Maxwell has been featured in several news publications within the last six
months. He was featured in The Roanoke Times in February of 2007 and in the
Blue Ridge Business Journal in December of 2006. Also, the author L. B. Taylor,
Jr. features Maxwell’s artwork in his book The Ghosts of Virginia Volume VII that
was published in 2002. Eddie Maxwell lives and works in Roanoke, Virginia.
"Christ On A Cross"
