Wintry Calligraphy

Winter recently blanketed Ohio in fluffy white snows. Many see beauty in the soft billows, and a painter looks into it for the contrasts. Here I imagined a little earthly warmth glowing beneath the cool layers of color and the dark calligraphy of the quiet trees against the sky .

Holly Box

Reflective Christmas balls and a gift box of holly print…casual elegance in the days of celebration. Not just the gift, but how it is presented is also of significance to the receiver.

Light in the Forest

He came amid the snows of winter…welcome, Holy Child,

and Merry Christmas to all of earth!

Poinsettia and White Berries

Sunday marked the third week of Advent for us, so Christmas is now very near. Our halls are nearly decked and many pathways lit with welcoming lights entwining evergreens. And though we sing “Rejoice!” our hearts are heavy for the massacre of the innocents of Connecticut. Red and green, the traditional colors of Christmas, also recall the mystery and paradox of martyrdom and new life. The Babe of Bethlehem knew the same.

Tapestry II: Roses (Final Stage)

Now highlights and detail have been added, but kept to a minimum for simplicity. (See previous two days.) The attempt to apply patches of color gives a tapestry-like look to the piece, and the warm red outlines and neutral background tones will unify the four tapestry paintings in the series, of which this is the second. Eventually all four will appear here in the daily blog and in the Etsy.com Shop: Paintgrace.