Seeking the Sublime in the Everyday

  Good Morning!  I'll make this short because I know you want to open your presents, get the turkey into the oven, start the family Zoom call--it's a big day. Here's one of my favorite Christmas stories. My brother Alan tells about one very special Sunday School Christmas pageant.  The little boy who played the innkeeper had rehearsed plenty of times and he knew his lines but at his cue, when the weary Mary and Joseph came to his door and pleaded for shelter, instead of turning them away he opened the door and said,  "Come on in!"  Everything came to a halt and they had to start over, and again he flubbed his line; he followed his heart and welcomed the strangers.  Again, everything stopped.  On the third try, the play proceeded as written. The director, who was also the mother of the little innkeeper, was mortified but I hope she was able to keep in her heart a bit of pride that she had raised a warm-hearted and generous boy. I think he actually got it right.

 Here's the next stage in the work I showed you on December third. I've filled in the red bricks on the second floor, the gold railing for the third floor, and I've almost finished the caryatids holding up the roof. I'm glad I'm writing this and not speaking it, as I've never learned how to pronounce that word.    It's taken longer than I thought it would because I took some time off to work on a new wreath. This won't be finished by Christmas but it's putting me in the mood.I rescued a beautiful boxwood wreath  from the trash last year and I've been meaning all year to put it down on paper. Maybe next year it'll be a Christmas card. Back to the Red House--and the roof is up! It's cropped off a bit--I always push the edges of the paper.  May I can add something on photoshop.  It's coming along.   I like having two pieces going. In making all those little dots-my hand moving almost automatically and my mind wandering--I came up with my

 Christmas is almost here so let's start celebrating with a song from the choir of  the First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York. As a reminder, if you would like me to send you a copy of  My book of Christmas Carols, I'll send it to you for the cost of shipping.  Just click on this link; 12 Carols We have so much to celebrate so...Enjoy!

 Happy Hanukkah! Everyone can celebrate the story of a light that did not go out.  "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it." John 1:5  "Let your light so shine before others... " Matthew 5:16 This little light of mine... "I like the cracks-that's how the light gets in." Leonard Cohen Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light This is Abingdon Square Park at Eighth Avenue, 12th Street and Hudson Street--my neighborhood. What a year, and how we need light and lightness.  On November 7 when New York City erupted in horns honking with joy and all the church bells in Paris rang I felt a mix of relief and hope for the coming year. But I know that there are many who now feel the way I felt at this time in 2016. How do we proceed from here?  How do we find a way to work together after all that's been said?  My church is holding discussions with the book, I Think You're Wrong But I'm Listening.  Maybe that's a start. M

 Click here to order my book of Carols do you remember my Kickstarter Project last year?  I'm so grateful to everyone who contributed to help me get my book,  designed and printed that this year I'm offering it as a gift--well, almost a gift, I'm asking you to pay for shipping.  I've always wanted to illustrate my favorite Christmas Carols and last spring I sat down and did it.   My friend, the wonderful soprano, Mary Kathryn Monday, helped me to put it together and, thanks to a bunch of generous friends on Kickstarter, it's now a real-life book. Why not send one as a Christmas greeting? Why not send some to your far-away nearest and dearest and host a virtual Carol sing-along? I'd love to share it with you. Merry Christmas

I started a new drawing a week or so ago and thought you might like to watch it grow.  So here it is. Doesn't look like much, does it?  This is my inspiration or starting point.  I found it in one of my little black books. Now I'm starting with ink.  I'm calling this Red House but I don't know how much Red I'll use. I wish I were a better photographer. One section of red filled in. Now I've moved on to the next story and outlined the balusters. Now I'll step back and show you the whole paper with the second story beginning. I've been looking for a neutral colored ink;  I've tried to mix my own, with  Raw Umber and White but I wasn't happy.  My beloved Yellow Ocher is too yellow when it's diluted. Last week I found my dream ink! It's a beautiful warm neutral but I'm afraid the name needs work--it's called Flesh.  OY--whose Flesh? Daler Rowney needs to take a look  at what Crayola did a long time ago-- Multicultural colors or Colors