When I was a boy, the year was divided into just three parts. In descending order of importance they were, Christmas, and the hunting and fishing seasons.
My earliest memories of Christmas consist of pure wonder and magic. I remember sitting in a darkened room with my eyes squinted to blur the soft glow of Christmas tree lights. And, the sparkle of twisting ornaments and strands of tinsel added an even more mystical dimension to the real-life fantasy before me.
My enchantment with Christmas may have diminished somewhat with the inevitable distractions of adolescence and early adulthood, but a deep wave of nostalgia swept over me with parenthood. The magic of Christmas was renewed through the eyes of my children.
I’ve always believed that an artist should paint what he knows and loves, and along with images from a rural existence and a sporting life, the Christmas season is a subject that I care about deeply.
So, it seems only natural to me that I combine all that’s important to me in the images I create. The paintings I’ve included in this selection recall favorite images and memories from Christmas seasons past.
Christmas Day
Is there anything more exciting than awakening on Christmas morning, and dashing to the tree to see what Santa Claus has brought?
In this painting I try to imagine my perfect Christmas morning! Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image.
Closing Day
It’s a tradition in my family to spend part of every Thanksgiving and Christmas Day afield, hunting the uplands. A brace of rooster pheasants or bobwhite quail are as pretty as any Christmas ornament I’ve ever seen. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image. Also available as a limited edition fine art print.
The Christmas Tree
I grew up in rural America, and my wife, Lisa, and I have raised our family in the same life style. One of our many Christmas traditions is collecting the family Christmas tree. Often, the perfect tree is located and marked earlier in the fall, while hunting, and collected later. Sometimes the day includes visiting neighbors. The perfect Christmas tree, good friends, and cookies with hot cider create memories that live forever. Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image.
Alone
Christmas is a busy time of year when we’re often surrounded by family and friends for days on end. Even though we love them, too much company can wear on a guy, and it’s easy for me to lose touch of my inner voice. Luckily, there are several trout streams nearby, where I can be alone and find the solitude I need to reconnect. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image. Also available as a limited edition fine art print.
The Night the Animals Speak
Legend tells us that because the animals gave Mary and Joseph room in their manger on Christmas Eve, they were rewarded with the gift of speech. It’s a tradition for many farmers to honor this act of kindness by placing a wreath on their barn door. Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image.
Closed for the Season
On quiet and still Christmas mornings, the children of summers past can be heard in our small Minnesota town; running past the old village ice cream shop. Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image.
Evening Refuge
Just down stream from the little village where we live is an expansive marsh, and scattered throughout it are numerous spring holes that stay open all winter. I often linger in my evening chores to catch the faint and plaintive calls of geese as they return from feeding; searching for an evening refuge. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image. Also available as a limited edition fine art print.
Home for Christmas
No matter how long or difficult the journey, it’s always a wonderful feeling to be home for Christmas. Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image.
A Fisherman’s Sampler
Created for our children’s nursery, the “Fisherman’s Sampler” was just too much fun not to share! Available as a holiday card by clicking the image. Also available as a limited edition fine art print.
Fly Wreath
If a fly fisherman were to decorate a Christmas wreath… I’ve no doubt it would look something like this! Available as a holiday card by clicking the image. The original watercolor is also available.
Christmas at the Johnston Cabin
I was asked by a friend to replicate an old print that hung in her husband’s childhood home. The print was of a painting by Frank Johnston, an original member of the Canadian “Group of Seven”. I took the scene and tried to make it my own, and by way of homage, titled the painting, “Christmas at the Johnston Cabin”. Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image.
Patience
Sometimes, in the depth of winter, when the day is bright and clear and cold, I wander off to the marsh where, months before, I sat watching the sky. It’s fun to walk across the bays and channels that I’ve hunted. It gives me a different perspective of my marsh, and I often find interesting treasures… like an errant decoy waiting patiently to be found and put back into service. Surprises sometimes offer more questions than answers. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image. The original oil painting is also available.
Rejoice
Our community’s church stands at the end of the block, and while I rarely attend, I certainly appreciate the strength it provides to the tapestry of our lives. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image.
Rural Delivery
I remember a simpler time, before UPS and FedEx, when Christmas gifts were sent by post, sometimes weeks in advance. Friends and nearby relatives also took advantage of oversized rural delivery dropped boxes and filled them with presents of all sorts. Available as a Christmas card by clicking the image. The original oil painting is also available.
Winter Moon Rising
High on the bluff, on the hill leading out of town, is a favorite hiking trail of mine. I like to wander along it on winter evenings, especially if there’s a full moon rising over the valley where we live. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image.
Christmas Magic
There are certain paintings that are not for sale, and this is one of them. The painting of our daughter Tommy and her first snowman, hangs in our living room all year long, perhaps as a reminder that a little Christmas magic should happen every day. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image.
First Fish of the Year
Our dear friend, Dave, has a tradition of fishing the local trout streams on New Year’s Day. Regardless of the temperature, or the inevitable ice that builds up in the guides of his rod, he can be found on the water, catching his first fish of the year. Available as a holiday card by clicking the image.
The Three Wise Men
Available as a holiday card by clicking the image.
Five Baits a Buzzin’
Available as a holiday card by clicking the image.
WONDERFUL