Animals Christmas

"The animals gave Him a Manger bed,

 Gathering near as Christ was born;

And as he smiled and blessed their love, 

The animals spoke on Christmas morn.

 And now, on every Christmas Eve,

 a wondrous miracle takes place, 

 And the animals speak amongst themselves,

 Of the love that shone from Jesus face."

old folk song

  This is artwork I did several years ago. It is a painted papercutting otherwise known as scherenschnitte. I painted this in a very folksy style, which was my forte for many years. I have always liked the stylized angels and the Star of Bethlehem.

 But of course, for me, it is the animals that are most fun to create. Little did I know when I designed this piece, that  most of the animals featured in the picture, would become my little friends in my real life.

The donkey, goats, sheep ,cats, red dog and chickens all currently reside in our big green barn on the hill.

I am quite sure they will gather on Christmas eve amid the scent of fresh straw and cedar boughs, and tell a miraculous tale of a long ago night in a faraway land.

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    This Christmas eve, when all is still and the stars glimmer in a clear wintry sky, I plan on silently hiding in a cozy corner of the green barn. I long to hear my animals speak in hushed voices, telling the story of an Animals Christmas.