NATIVITY (fancy way of saying BIRTH)

Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds
Domenico Ghirlandaio - 1485

This oil painting was painted as an altarpiece in the Sassetti Chapel of Santa Trinita in Florence, Italy.  Domenico Ghirlandaio was from Florence.  Like other artists from this era, Ghirlandaio painted himself in the scene as one of the characters--most likely the one pointing to Baby Jesus.

Mystic Nativity - 1500
Sandro Botticelli

Sandro Botticelli painted the Mystic Nativity as an oil on canvas.  Notice how he portrays softness and movement in cloth--with the dancing angels. 

 

Adoration of the Magi - 1504
Albrecht Durer

This painting was commissioned for the altar of Schlosskirche in Wittenberg, Germany.  Albrecht Durer painted himself in the painting as one of the three kings (the long-haired one dressed in green).

The Sistine Madonna - 1512-13
Raphael

Raphael was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance.  This is one of his most famous works--especially the two cute little cherubs on the bottom.  Aren't they adorable?  The oil painting was commissioned as an altarpiece by Pope Julius Ii in 1512 for the Church of San Sisto, Piacenza.

Adoration of the Shepherds - 1609
Caravaggio

Caravaggio uses a high contrast between highlights and shadows, as we can see here.  His paintings often show struggle and pain.  Notice how the figures look like ordinary people, barefoot in robes, rather than with elegant divine figures.  The barn appears to be dimly lit by a candle.

Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have popularized the Nativity scene in 1223, when he staged a live recreation of the birth of Baby Jesus.  In the town of Greccio, Italy, real people and animals brought the story of the Baby's birth to life for those who could not read the Scriptures.

By the 1300s, Nativity scenes were being made of wood or clay and placed in churches throughout Italy and other parts of Europe.  These displays were often large, with life-sized figures. 

ADVENT WREATHS

The four Sundays before Christmas are celebrated as Advent.  The four candles on the Advent Wreath represent the Light of the World. One candle is lit Each Sunday.  Three candles are purple and are lit on the first, second and fourth Sundays of Advent.  The fourth candle is pink and is lit on the third Sunday of Advent.  

• First purple candle, the Prophecy Candle, symbolizes hope.
• Second purple candle, the Bethlehem Candle, symbolizes faith and Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.
• Third pink candle, the Shepherd's Candle, symbolizes joy and remembers the joy of the shepherds.
• Fourth purple candle, the Angel's Candle, symbolizes peace.  This candle represents the angel's message of "Peace on Earth and good will towards men."

In 1839, Pastor Johann Hinrich Wichern, Germany, made a wreath from an old cart wheel to help children at his mission school count down the days until Christmas.  He decorated the wheel with red candles for weekdays and Saturdays, and a large white candle for Sundays.  The tradition became popular among Protestant churches in Germany and in 1920 was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church.  It was German immigrants who brought the tradition to the United States. 

Our world today is filled with both darkness and light.  Lighting the candles in December is a way for us to reflect on hope, peace, joy and love.  It is my personal opinion that we don't need to be labeled as belonging to a certain formal religion in order to do that.  Nor is it difficult to make and decorate an evergreen wreath, buy four candles and light one each week.  It's the business of trying to get along with each other, feeling compassion for one another, thinking positively and taking delight in life's countless blessings.  Sometimes doing all that isn't easy, yet our persistence and positive outlook will get us to the other side of the dark times that leave us with broken hearts.  Been there, done that.

A burning candle is the perfect symbol for the passage of time and life itself.  The longer it burns, the shorter it gets.

SANTA'S SLEIGH AND REINDEER

Santa's sleigh and reindeer play a major role in the story of Santa Claus.  Santa's sleigh travels the night sky, magically pulled by reindeer named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.  Christmas is the time for fun, so let's meet Santa's reindeer....... 

Dasher: The fastest reindeer of the pack.  He was replaced as lead reindeer by Rudolph, cuz he kept going too fast and the rest of the reindeer couldn't keep up.  Dasher is the oldest and most respected in the reindeer community.

Dancer:  Has the most flair and elegance.....and knows it.  He's always putting on performances for the rest of the reindeer.  Dancer is the twin brother to Prancer.

Prancer:  Like his twin, Prancer is graceful and majestic, and far too aware of it.  Every Christmas Eve Santa has to drag him away from the mirror.  Prancer and Dancer are tied next to each other in the group so Dancer can keep an eye on his easily distracted twin brother.

Vixen:  Was voted The Most Beautiful Reindeer of all time by the Reindeer Monthly.  Vixen is a notorious flirt and flutters her long eyelashes at anyone to get her way.

Comet:  Strong and stubborn, Comet was named after a great comet which flew through the sky at the same moment he was born.....which foretold his future as a famous flying reindeer.

Cupid:  Born on Valentine's Day, Cupid is the most romantic of the reindeer.  Madly in love with Vixen, he's constantly trying to impress her.  Santa had to separate the two since Cupid kept flying into things, cuz he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Donner:  Her name means thunder, and she's not to be messed with.  Married to Blitzen, they're kinda like the parents of the other reindeer.  Donner looks after the others, making sure their hooves are clean, and she cooks hearty meals before their long journeys delivering gifts around the world.

Blitzen: Husband to Donner, he's the bravest reindeer.  He encourages the rest of the team through the toughest storms to make darn sure they successfully deliver the presents in time for Christmas morning.  Blitzen's name means lightning.  Together with Donner, they are the backbone of this magnificent bunch.

Rudolph: The youngest and most famous of Santa's team.  Rudolph was born with his legendary red nose, and children all over the world are delighted that he was, cuz he has led the team through many wintry nights like a bright flashlight.  Dasher was not happy when Rudolph replaced him as lead reindeer, but after seeing how well Rudolph could guide the sleigh through even the thickest fog, he was okay with it and gladly acted as second in command.

The best present you can ever receive
Does not possess any monetary value
Yet is more precious than pure gold
It's the gift of someone loving you.
(Paul Curtis, English Poet)

CHRISTMAS ELVES

In keeping with December's theme of Christmas, I searched for paintings of Santa's helpers.....ELVES.  Fineartamerica.com is the source of these adorable little helpers.

Christmas elves are tiny creatures with pointed ears. They live far away at the North Pole in Santa's village.  Only Santa and his elves know where the secret village is.  Santa's elves have responsibilities:  take care of Santa's reindeer, guard the secret location of the village, make sure Santa's sleigh is in good shape and works well, help Santa keep up his Naughty or Nice List, make toys and then organize them onto Santa's sleigh, and their most important job is to keep an eye on children's behavior and report back to Santa.  Elves have to work fast in the mail room, where they sort through tons of letters.  On top of that, since the letters come from all over the world, Santa's elves must understand many different languages. 

Elf With Christmas Lights
Beverly Johnson

Elves Delivering Christmas
English School

Santa's Elves 
Francois Ruyer

German Christmas Card
Elves Surrounding a Tree

Santa's Elves Sliding on a Log
Les Classics

The Cutest Little Elf
Tina LeCour

Elf After Hours
Tina LeCour

Have you ever wondered why elves have pointed ears?  Well, their ears are seen as a symbol of their heightened senses and connection to nature.  They love the forests and have a deep appreciation for plants and animals.

Elves can be quite mischievous and are known to leave little surprises or "elf magic" around the house.  Do you suppose that's why sometimes one sock comes up missing? Hmmmmm..............

LOUIS WAIN'S CATS

 Yesterday I looked at the clock.  The time was 12:12.  This happens to us a lot.....seeing the same sequence of numbers.  After pointing the time out to my boyfriend, he was quick to add, "Yah, and it's also the 12th day of the 12th month!"

Some call this "seeing angel numbers."  Others call it "synchronizing with the universe."  I wonder if the universe communicates with us through numbers.  When we consider that the Fibonacci numbers apply to the number of petals in flowers and their spiraling seed patterns, sea shells, tree branches, pine cones, pineapples an other fruits and vegetables.....it makes sense that numbers might be the language used by the universe to tell us we're maybe on the right path.  If nothing else, the same sequence of numbers gives us a choice of meaning.  If seeing the same numbers gives me a feeling of reassurance, then so be it. We're free to think whatever we like and feel inspired and satisfied.

Shortly after 12:12, our dear Judy stopped over bearing gifts, as always.  Coincidence???  Earlier, she and her little granddaughter rescued a baby kitten, and now little Gracie is a ruling member of the household.  Judy gave me permission to post this photo she took of Gracie spending time in their Christmas tree.....  

Gracie

Our pets, those beloved fur babies, play an integral part of Christmas, sometimes in cute and mischievous ways.  Seeing a cat in a Christmas tree reminds me of Chevy Chase's Lampoon Christmas Vacation with Cousin Eddy and the crew.  The cat gets fried into the carpet when it chews on the electric cord to the tree lights.  That movie, in my opinion, is the funniest ever made.  

Which makes me think that I'm always posting about dogs..... and not cats.  You see, I'm a dog person, as they say.  So, let's see what I can find about our feline friends in the world of Christmas art..........

Louis William Wain (1860-1939) was an English artist known for his drawings of cats with human characteristics.  Wain was born in London and produced hundreds of drawings and paintings for periodicals and books from 1901 to 1921.  He did not become wealthy, because he sold his works at low prices and relinquished copyright. 

Wain began illustrating cats when he was in his 20s as a way to entertain his wife, who was dying of cancer.  After she passed away, those illustrations won him international fame.  Without going into detail, Wain's life was a sad one of mental health and personal tragedy.  Wain had a cat named Peter.  The death of Peter in 1898 was a terrible blow to Wain's mental health.  Peter was his only living connection to his wife, and after losing Peter, he went into deep depression. 

Wayne is known for his paintings of cats playing golf or having tea or a cocktail.  Author H. G. Wells said of him, "He has made the cat his own.  He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world."  Let's look at some of his works......

Cats Nightmare

Note:  This one with the owls is my personal favorite.  I think I'd have named this piece "EYES."

A Merry Christmas Party
(complete with gag exploding cigars)

Cat Christmas

GRANDMA MOSES - Sugaring Off

It's the ideal time of the year to learn about the folk artist, Anna Mary Robertson Moses, a/k/a Grandma Moses (1860-1961). 

My knowledge about Grandma Moses is nil....til this post.  I start with the fact that she started painting when she was 78.  (Good lesson for us that it's never too late to start doing something we're interested in.)   In the 1950s, she was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, her autobiography My Life's History was published in 1952.  She was awarded two honorary doctoral degrees.

When Moses first started showing her works, she was known as Mrs. Moses. In 1940, an art critic noted in a 1940 New York Herald Tribune review that her neighbors called her Grandma Moses, and the name stayed with her.  

While working as a live-in housekeeper starting at age 12, her employers noticed her appreciation for their Currier and Ives prints.  They bought her chalk and wax crayons.  Moses and her husband had ten children, five who survived.  She embroidered pictures with yarn, until her hands were disabled with arthritis.

In her 1961 obituary (she was 101), The New York Times wrote of her:  "The simple realism, nostalgic atmosphere and luminous color with which Grandma Moses portrayed simple farm life and rural countryside won her a wide following.  She was able to capture the excitement of winter's first snow, Thanksgiving preparations and the new, young green of oncoming spring.....In person, Grandma Moses charmed wherever she went.  A tiny, lively woman with mischievous gray eyes and a quick wit, she could be sharp-tongued with a sycophant and stern with an errant grandchild."

Sugaring Off was one of Grandma Moses' most popular paintings.  Her inspiration for it was a well-known Currier & Ives lithograph.  She sometimes copied compositions, but she never tried to duplicate this Currier & Ives print.  She freely combined elements from her primary source with vignettes from other sources and from her own imagination.  Take a special note in the bottom left the mother pouring maple syrup on the snow, where it would harden into instant candy, the men with buckets, and the little sugar house.  The painting was produced on Hallmark Christmas cards.  This is what made Grandma Moses wealthy.  Her net worth was between $1.5 and $5 million.

Sugaring Off 

The painting depicts the artist's interpretation of the maple syrup season...the process of boiling sap to create maple syrup.  Each of the characters has a special role in this bustling scene.  This painting was so popular that it was featured on a commemorative postage stamp by the United States Postal Service in 1969. Sugaring Off is currently displayed in the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont. 

• Grandma Moses was named "Young Woman of the Year" at age 88.
• She was friends with Norman Rockwell.
• One of her paintings, July Fourth, hangs in the White House.
• She produced around 2,000 paintings.

When she died, President Kennedy issued the following statement:  "The death of Grandma Moses removes a beloved figure from American life.  The directness and vividness of her paintings restored a primitive freshness to our perception of the American scene.  All Americans mourn her loss.  Both her work and her life helped our nation renew its pioneer heritage and recalled its roots in the countryside and on the frontier."

Here are a few quotes from Grandma Moses......

• "If I hadn't started painting, I would have raised chickens."
• "Painting's not important. The important thing is keeping busy."
• "Life is what we make it.  Always has been, always will be."
• "I look back on my life like a good day's work.  It was done and I am satisfied with it."
• "When I get ready to paint, I just close my eyes and imagine a scene."
• "There are many things in your heart you can never tell to another person.  They are you, your private joys and sorrows, and you can never tell them.  You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them."

Artist BARBEL AMOS

Barbel Amos is a native of Berlin, Germany.  Her watercolors, drawings and etchings are in collections in the United States and Europe.  She has a website that sells her work in prints, stationery, cards and more.  https://barbel-amos.pixels.com/shop/prints

I came across her art work by accident, and find myself really liking her Old World Father Christmases.   

Old World Father Christmas

Christmas Woodland Series #2

Christmas Woodland Series #3

Christmas Woodland Series #1

Christmas Woodland Series

Christmas Woodland Series #4

Father Christmas

We have Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, and a total of 124 names for the man who bestows tangible blessings upon us. Different countries have different names for this man, yet, he represents the gold standard of goodness and generosity to all.

Years back I devotedly bought boxes of Christmas cards, to the tune of 125.  It was me who sat at the kitchen table and signed, wrote personal messages on the cards, and wrote the addresses on the envelopes.  This was after a full-day's work at the office.  Went to the post office to purchase postage stamps, licked them, applied and mailed them.  I don't do that anymore. As times changed, so did I.  Christmas cards are beautiful, and they are wonderful to receive.  My heart and hat go out to those who continue this annual personal communication.  I gave up writing a  Christmas letter, too.

What I love about Christmas cards is the beautiful pictures of winter and the holiday season.  Instead of discarding them, one of my dresser drawers is devoted to cards and stationery.  The front page of each card is cut off with scissors, and I reuse those beautiful pictures as gift tags, or even as Christmas cards.  That drawer is kinda like the kitchen cupboard devoted to cookbooks.  Rarely opened.  When I want to try a new recipe, my fingers find their way to Pinterest.  Either I print the recipe or take my laptop in the kitchen with me.  

Man alive, my mind travels back to our Christmases past, when both families were still intact and everyone was present.  With us not having kids, and our families bought presents for everyone, we got the short end of the stick, for sure.  But, we made our fun by taking a day to go shopping, probably eating lunch at Red Lobster, visiting Barnes & Noble and just being together.  Never ever did I return a gift that was given to me.  That would've been so against my moral compass.  Today's society is like an antonym to our Christmases then.  My favorite Christmas memories involve silliness, cool whip pranks, and $1 themed gift exchanges.  There's not enough silly these days.....I'd probably get locked up for doing some of the things I did back then!

Last night it snowed just enough to fill the cracks in the parking lot.  Just cannot get the snow I cross my fingers for.  Well, little Buffy will be arriving any minute.  She's staying with us from 8 to 4, a one-day injection of puppy love.  That should hold me over until the week after Christmas, when she'll stay for one week.  Lord, am I going to spoil her.  

Vermont's ROCKWELL KENT

Artist Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) was known for his ability to capture the nature he so loved in mystical landscape paintings.  He once said, "I'm not trying to make people love my art.  Through my art, I'm trying to make people love nature.  That's all."

The Trapper - 1921
Rockwell Kent
In the collection of the Whitney Museum
of Modern Art in New York

Rockwell Kent painted this lone figure of the trapper as a symbol of solitude and self-reliance, reflecting the harsh realities of life in a remote, wintry environment.  The painting is revered for its skillful use of light and shadow, the depth and texture in the snow, while capturing the cold, atmospheric conditions.  Kent spent significant time in Alaska.  The Trapper represents the region's rugged landscape and the lives of the people who live there.

Note the visual impact, with the stark contrast between the white snow, dark silhouette of the trapper, and the mountains.....creating a powerful sense of drama. There's much more to the picture than a lone trapper, a dog, mountains, clouds, sky and pale half-moon.  We imagine vast expanses of white wilderness, with wild animals existing in this harsh environment. 

Winter art scenes help us to appreciate the beauty of the season, the emotions it stirs within us plus our cultural attitudes.  What other season gives us the whites, the blues and the silvers of frost and snow.  Winter is a time for solitude, and Christmas is a time for us to reflect on our spiritual stand. 

For myself, the winter season around Christmas makes me aware of my resilient stand up against commercialism.  In that regard, I find myself to be more introverted at my age than I was when I was younger.  Looking at a winter painting warms my soul, and a forceful inner curiosity shoves me to look for the meaning of things, of people, of their actions, their inactions.....everything about life.  It's kinda like I can hear the clock ticking, and I want to learn all I can about Earth and its 8+ billion Earthers.  The everyday mundane have-to stuff gets in my way, and I struggle my way around it. 

Since my study of Van Gogh, I've learned to understand the context of a painting, when it was created, the artist who created it, the culture of the location it was painted, and after all that, I can see if the painting relates to me or my life.  I notice, too, that I'm drawn to certain pieces.....like The Trapper in today's post.  Artists have given the world an incredible treasure trove.  I have only been to one place to see original sculptures and paintings, and that was the Vatican in Rome and the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo painted the ceiling.  For little old me to have been there and done that, well, that was mighty spectacular.  To think that I was where Michelangelo was......makes my soul sing.  

I'm hoping my followers are having an adventure along with me.  I'm starting my 17th year of blogging, and once in a while I need to undertake a learning project that I can share.  And, Christmas is the perfect time to pass on to others what we ourselves take pleasure in learning or experiencing. 

Sadly, we are already swimming in a sea of artificial intelligence, propelled by digital technology, that has the ability to create a whole new genre of art.  My artistic preference wants what comes from the hands, the heart, the soul and the eyes of another.  

THOMAS KINKADE - Painter of Light

Thomas Kinkade in his studio

Thomas Kinkade was born 1958 in Sacramento, California....died 2012 in Monte Sereno, California.  He was an American artist who painted pleasing scenes, in natural simplicity.  Typical subjects of Kinkade's paintings included cottages, bridges, gardens, and Americana scenes infused with the warm glow of sunlight.  He also produced Impressionist-style paintings under the brush name Robert Girrard from 1984 to 1990.  This anonymity allowed him the freedom to experiment in style and subject matter, to explore with palette, brush strokes and broken color (the painting technique that involves applying small strokes of color without blending them.)

In keeping with my December spotlight on winter art, these are a few of Kinkade's winter paintings.  I'll start with my favorite one...........

Evening Glow

A Winter Retreat

Winter at Lamplight Manor

Christmas at Lamplight Village

Welcome Winter

Appalachian winter landscape
with a log cabin glowing in the night.

Sunset on Snowflake Lake

Deer Creek Chapel

Thomas Kinkade used light to guide the viewer's eyes to the focal points of his paintings......with warmth, peace and divine grace.  His ability to blend light and color created an almost ethereal effect, making his works resonate with spirituality.  

Thomas Kinkade called himself the Painter of Light.  He used light to represent a divine presence and to drive away darkness.  Light in his paintings can symbolize God's guiding influence, family values and the need to be welcoming to others.  Kinkade believed that art could be a connecting force that could blur societal boundaries and connect people.  His work was based on a search for relief from the pressures of modern life.  His paintings are known for their dream-like pastels and idyllic scenes of churches and cottages.  He was inspired by his mother's collection of Saturday Evening Post magazines and considered Normal Rockwell to be his earliest hero.

FOUR FREEDOMS SERIES by Norman Rockwell

I would be remiss if I didn't devote a post to Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms series, which was inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt on the universal rights of man.  Rockwell served as a military artist in World War I.  During World War II he painted the Four Freedoms.

Freedom of Speech
He illustrates a scene where a young worker
stands up to speak at a town meeting.  Symbolizes
the right to freedom of expression, 
irrespective of social status.

Freedom of Worship
He paints a woman praying with her hands folded 
in prayer with rosary beads, a reference to Catholicism,
and a man stroking his chin as a symbol of agnosticism.

Freedom from Want
He painted this for Americans to think about 
having enough to eat as an American ideal
worth fighting for.  The image also conveys the
 comfort that goes with eating around a table of loved ones.

Freedom from Fear
This depicts American children being tucked
into bed by their parents while the war rages
across the Atlantic. 

Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms paintings celebrated American life in a way that bolstered patriotic spirit during World War II.  The paintings were reproduced in The Saturday Evening Post and were the centerpiece of a touring exhibition that sold over $132 million in war bonds.  The Four Freedoms are now considered masterpieces of American art and symbols of American identity and values.  They're often displayed in public buildings and are popular worldwide.