Helen Chick
In case (a) my card to you was held up in the mail, or (b) you’re not on my list (please don’t take this personally; constraints shrank it a little this year), or (c) you’re some random reader (hi!), and because (d) there’s something cool (and possibly slightly disturbing!) about being able to make a blog post while on the Oxford-Heathrow bus and (e) there are some other reasons as well (the existence of which is only worth acknowledging but not articulating), here is my Christmas message for 2009 (which will be shorter than this opening drivel).
May you be blessed with a happy Christmas, and may the new year bring fulfilment, peace, and joy.
Helen.
We did get ours (maybe a week ago?) Clever!
Joy is your safe return
Witty, wondrous watercolour wielding! Wow!
Shari: bit of a cheat I confess. It was all done electronically for various reasons, and the software graphics program called Illustrator has a built-in watercolour brush. If you look closely you’ll see that all the strokes have the same “texture”. I only drew one of the magi too, and then duplicated him twice and manipulated the copies. My secret is out. I am a fraud.
All that talent and humility too! Does it matter what medium and method was used? I love the rhythmic pattern of the sky, trees, wise men and even the windows in the background. I love the clean expression of a brilliant idea. I love the forward leaning posture and the flying robes of the learned gentlemen hastening away from the proud towers of academia to the humble environs of the lowly, Holy Child. Very wise indeed! I see math, music, faith, humour and delightful, exceptional talent. I see truth not fraud. I see Helen. What a privilege.
[…] year has flown by, and it’s nearly Christmas again. In keeping with tradition (see 2009, 2010, and 2011) I am presenting this year’s Christmas card design. The design idea was an […]
[…] the idea for what I want to try. Sometimes this inspiration comes well in advance (as was the case last year, when the fact that I was in Oxford gave me the idea for my theme and how to approach it); other times it’s the end of November and I’m panicking about what to do. In the […]