I would like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Year! With this last newsletter before the New Year and on Christmas Eve let us all remember the child who came into the world to show us not only that God has made his peace with us but that He is a loving father. For over two thousand years we have been celebrating that miracle of love and peace on earth as the angels announced. Let us consider our part as artists and particularly how we can make a Merry Christmas for others as we extend our gifts and talents.
I'm sure you all have wonderful stories this season and in season's past that you can recall. I have two to share with you this year.
The Commission
Mala Morrison is the Pre-Kindergarten teacher at the Indian Island School. Her recent passing of her father, Merle Perkins, was particularly difficulty for me as well because he was a student of mine and a very good friend. He painted in watercolor and even followed me out to Mohegan Island for a June workshop that I taught at the Island Inn. Mala commissioned me to do a painting of the old school house that her father Merle Perkins went to as a young boy. She always loved that old school house and once asked him to paint it for her, but he showed little interest. I went to the location last autumn and studied the building which has since become an American Legion Hall. Also, behind the the old school building there is a cemetery where Merle is buried. So back in the Fall on a clear sunny day I visited Merle's grave to pay my respects, made a working drawing with many notes and photos and invited Merle to paint with me or be present as I painted for his daughter Mala the old school house. And that is what I did in the weeks that followed, but I could not get motivated to finish it. That is, not until the the last day of school on December 21st when I got a in-filling of Christmas Spirit. After going on an inspiring walk I returned to my studio to finished and framed the painting by 1:30 am early that next morning. Not getting much sleep that night I couldn't wait to bring the work to Mala the next day to surprise her at the school.
At 10 o'clock in the morning I walked into the Pre-Kindergarten room to find the children just about to watch a Christmas movie. I announced that I had a Christmas surprise for their teacher and the timing could not have been more perfect. I handed Mala the painting all wrapped up like a Christmas present, as the children gathered around to see the gift inside. They all helped to carefully unwrap the painting and as the photo above shows there was a wonderful surprise and joy on their faces as they viewed the painting that obviously touched their teacher's heart. Mala or Mrs. Morrison to the students, said to me later, "I received the gift of my father for Christmas" and she showed the painting throughout the school to the rest of the teachers throughout the day.
You see, early that morning as I was finishing up the painting in my studio I did hear Merle's voice who encouraged me to add more detail. I smiled because Merle was always one for detail as was another great watercolor artist in history I have studied who greatly admired nature and whom also had a close relationship with God; Albrecht Durer. So I worked a little longer to fine tune the watercolor as I remembered the tender touch both of these artists had in their painting process. Sometimes as painters we are unaware of just how much we can bring joy to others in this Season, especially the joy and love of a father!
The Nutcracker Story
The next story I'd like to share is the nutcracker story. As a surprise for my wife I thought that I would clean off the dusty space above our kitchen cabinets and display a the nut crackers that my wife has collected throughout the years. I remember I worried that she might not have enough of them to fill the space, maybe she had 10 at the most. But the more I dug through the boxes the more I discovered that she had many more than I ever imagined.
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