Christmas Welcome

“You can take the boy out of the country…” I’m sure you know the old saying, but in my case you can’t take the country out of the boy, or his paintings either! A Christmas Welcome, the seventh in my decade long Christmas Cottage Collection, is certainly a creation of my “country boy” heart.

As I think back, many elements of an earlier and simpler time survived in my boyhood hometown. It was common, back then, for riders to navigate the unpaved roads on horseback. Rustic scenes like this, where horses wait patiently at a split rail fence while their riders enjoy holiday festivities in a rustic stone cottage, are treasured memories. I can almost smell the fragrant wood smoke rising in wisps from the twin chimneys.

A collection that evolves over a decade becomes a kind of autobiography. A Christmas Welcome reflects recent events as well – in this case, a horseback painting excursion the Kinkade family enjoyed this summer in the Colorado Rockies. We rode daily, and I re-discovered the strength, and patience, and beauty of horses. The mountain scenery also reminded me of earlier times when a warm cabin offered winter riders a much needed Christmas welcome.