Christmas in July
Christmas in July, if you know me personally you are probably laughing. I just finished the artwork above a few days ago after beginning it in November of 2021. Life just kept happening and I would set it aside to work on something else. I made up my mind at the beginning of June this project was about to get finished! So, in order for that to happen, with temps hanging in the 90’s and lots of sunshine, it called for measures to get me in the Christmas spirit in order to put my heart and soul into this piece. So, the Christmas music was turned on, the a/c was turned down a bit, and it’s time to paint with colored pencils! My husband just laughed, but he knows me so well. It’s really not unusual for me to play Christmas music in the summertime. If I’m in the mood to hear it, I play it.
First, let me tell you a little about this project. I took the photos for this still life in 2018 in our home. I wanted a setting of warm and cozy and a sense of wonder in the anticipation of Christmas. So, I light a fire in the fireplace, light up the Christmas tree, and turn out the other lights. All ambiance was coming from the fire and the Christmas tree lights. I took several different arrangements with the teddy bear in the rocking chair. This teddy bear is a treasured possession of mine. He was an after Christmas sale find. I just loved his sweater! So, he became my focal point for this still life. I actually worked from three different photos of this photo shoot, pulling different things I loved from each to include in this painting.
This painting was also done on a surface I had never worked on with colored pencil, canvas. I was familiar with working on canvas in oil paints and acrylics, but I never had thought about trying colored pencils on canvas, until one day while scrolling through Facebook, I found videos of another artist showing how she created art on canvas with colored pencil. I was completely intrigued as I watched her techniques. (The artist was Giddy Richt. Look her up! She’s done some beautiful portraits.) I decided I needed to try this, so I ordered the canvas she had used and then began this project. Normally when I try a new surface for the first time, I choose something smaller to work on in order to see if I like it and give me a chance to learn how to work on the new surface. Well, not this time, instead my canvas working area was to be 12” x 16”, which is large for a colored pencil piece for me. There was quite a learning curve working on canvas, but once I got into the real groove of it during June as I worked many hours on it, I found I really liked working on this surface with colored pencils. I would put several layers on and then blend it in using odorless mineral spirits. I was able to get a very painterly look, which was my goal. I really was pleased with how this piece turned out! As I had been working on it, I kept trying to think of a good name for this painting. I was very close to being finished, and the name “Anticipation” came to mind. I loved the name, because that is the feeling I wanted to give when I took the photos. So, the name stuck! My hope is the painting will help others feel the anticipation of Christmas! The celebration of our Lord and Savior’s birth, being with family and friends, watching children and grandchildren open packages, great food and fellowship, so much to anticipate! I am already anticipating all of this goodness!
I am also anticipating something I’ve never done before! I will be offering a Christmas in July sale for prints of this painting, as well as prints from my Santa of Paris painting, which I completed in 2019, in honor of my dear friend, Tony Clark. Tony isn’t with us in body anymore, but he’s forever in our hearts and minds.
Be watching your email, if you’re on my email list, for this offer. These prints will be available for a special price only during this Christmas in July sale. What a great time to buy something for yourself for the holidays or as a gift for someone else! If you’re not on my email list, go to my website www.kimkeysart.com. There will be a pop-up message when you go to my website, just put your name and email address in there and you won’t miss the email when the sale begins. If the pop-up doesn’t come up for any reason, there are several options on my website to sign up. Do it now!
I hope you have enjoyed my story behind my new painting, Anticipation. I’m so excited to be able to offer this one in prints as well. Be watching in the coming days for this sale! Thanks for reading and be blessed!
