TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CARDS.

Christmas cards trend toward themes. Popular at one time are replicas of old-fashioned cards. So familiar are Currier and Ives, small snowy towns, people sledding through the snow. This one is a famous painting and charming. (Not Currier and Ives.)

This is also a painting. The clothing shows the affluence these children enjoyed, reflecting their times.

A famous Madonna painting. There are so many beautiful paintings of the Madonna in museums all over the world and many of them are replicated on Christmas Cards.

What would Christmas be without an angel?

Or thoughts of peace and good will?

Also from a painting, these happy children playing in the snow.

A more contemporary vision of children playing in the snow.

Something warm and fuzzy.

This is my favorite. It much reflects the era of my childhood. The kids of all ages, a couple of them playing on the floor, the boy reading in his socks with his feet up on a book, apples on the tree, showing your treasures to grandpa. The homey pictures on the bureau. The girls are wearing those awful long stockings I hated so much growing up in a winter clime.

A touch of humor. Birds, animals and nature play heavily on Christmas cards.

This one is such a sweet tickle. It also shows another tradition; we decorate and light up trees in our yards.

Famous artists lend their skills to a Christmas card.
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A Christmas tree can be almost anything.

I read in Smithsonian where it took a long time for Christmas trees to catch on. Now, a Christmas never goes by without a card with a Christmas tree of some kind on it.
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I liked this lovely message. Some are old worn out clichés.

Christmas caroling is something not many people do anymore, but Christmas has its own special music, evolving year by year. But the old songs never go away.

A popular song clings to us for years and here we see a popular song in this card, "...the partridge in a pear tree."

A Christmas card can be whatever you make it. And here I have to salute a local artist, Bambi Papais. She and her sister Judie are both terrific artists admired and locally renowned. So with that in mind, I hope you've enjoyed my rummage through my box of Christmas cards from 1992.
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Happy holidays.
Mary

KAUTZ ART SHOW.

At Kautz, they offer an art show during daffodil days.  I liked this portrait, the appealing pose, the hand. Lovely.  I took each artist’s name in Picasa, but they don’t show when I load into my blog.

This painting received a red ribbon and it really does look like the terrain in the foothills leading up to Murphys at 2100 foot elevation.

I owned chickens all my married life until I moved to this particular house 15 years ago. I adore chickens, allowed to run free. I never caged them. Now, the coyotes and foxes would make quick work of them. Their territory is shrinking, and food is getting scarce.

This tulip is very real looking. People like to enter tulips and daffodils because Kautz buys paintings of the flowers to hang during the show.  (Melinda Shook)

This is a scene one could see at Kautz. We’ve seen deer and wild turkeys inside the deer fencing at Kautz. How appropriate that this turkey posed next to daffodils.  (Or maybe it didn’t pose.) ( Vaughn Lee.)

Iris.

A bold red poppy.

Another credible local scene. (Boylen)

My two favorites of the show were both by Martha Wallace. Her work always catches my eye.

I owned a MW painting once and gave it to a friend who wanted it. I was always sorry I parted with that painting.  I think it is time to buy another except I have no place to hang anything.

And I really liked this trio of tulips, though the glass made a glare on the photo. It is perfect. I would never have the patience to paint a lace doily. (Mardell.)

If you have a chance, check it out. It is a small show, and won’t disappoint. (Pat Ehlers.)

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS.

Madaline Krska celebrated her 70th birthday with a theme, a slew of friends, and the idea that we  are all celebrating birthdays and walking in the sun. She was flitting about and being the perfect hostess so it was hard to corner her for a picture. (Her smile is famous.)

We had an opportunity to don a lei and put a paper flower in our hair. We got name tags and noted our own birthdays…for later.

Laurie didn’t have enough hair for a flower so she  put her flower on her dress.

 Some people just don’t know any other language than smile. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to be?

It was fun to catch up with old friends from the Calaveras Arts Council, Marta and Kevin-artists, both.

Penny and Glenna.

Many people I had never met before.

Character shows.

Irene is a renownded  activist in the Motherlode.

Ed Klein is a talented photographer.

Don was born in January. You can see it on his name tag. I’d never met him before.

Getting help from your partner.

Hey, where is your lei?

The food was wonderful.

It was interesting to ask people you didn’t know how  had they met Madaline.

There was a lot of talent roaming around the pool and grounds at the Leger Hotel in Mokelumne Hill, but this woman has the most.  She can put two fingers in her mouth and whistle loud enough to bring the whole crowd to a standstill. I’m ever envious.

And thus we gathered to toast Madaline and each other in turn, those born in January,  February and March. Those April, May and June. July, August and September, October, November and December, each group in turn.  We all walk in the sun. Penny read off a list of famous people who share Maddie’s birthday and those famous ones who no longer walk in the sun.

We had our champagne with Little lavender cupcakes from Lila and Sage of Murphys.

My favorite picture was this one of Maddie’s daughter, Shelly. We had never met before and I found a fellow rambler. A woman who trekked across country by herself in a camper and hopes to do more of the same with a friend as time allows.  While I was setting my camera for my flash, she popped our Mary and Jim card into her hand and held it up. Isn’t that cool?
For the rest of the photos I took, you can click on the link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/2013720CelebratingBirthdays