Village Christmas

“On that day of days, Heaven and Earth reflect His glory…”

You many not imagine that Earth can ever take on the radiant hues of sunset, but I have often seen the snow upon the land radiating the rosy glow of evening. Therein lay the inspiration for Village Christmas, the eight painting in my decade long Christmas Cottage Collection.

Christmas is my favorite time of year. The artist side of me is drawn to the lights and visual elements of the season. In Village Christmas I have tried to capture a Christmas of a simpler time – where street lamps glow with the warm light of a natural flame and the townsfolk use a leisurely stroll to church as the opportunity to stop and chat about this joyous season.

How appropriate that on the eve of Christmas, the sky, ground, trees, rooftops, all are touched with luminous light. This is a village from yesteryear, where horse-drawn carriages share the street with Model A Fords – the kind of quaint Christmas village of which I’m sure everyone dreams. But even in our peaceful yesterdays, holiday time was filled with a bustling energy of activities and family traditions.

We can wonder whether the villagers – hurrying off to the distant church or shops along main street – take time to savor the wondrous light show God has provided. We hope that the family living in the Christmas cottage near at hand will look through the window to see the regal snowman bathed in a light divine.