The Greatest Gift

Oil on board, 36×36 in.
September 2018
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A Poem by Sydney Christensen inspired by this painting

Born in a manger, Jesus was the greatest gift of God. He gave us life after this life and real life today. He and Saint Nicholas have given their all to serve mankind, bringing joy and changing the lives of countless people for the better.

Join those around you in kneeling before the Babe of Bethlehem as we all give our lives to Him.

Final and Details

Click the pictures below to enlarge them:

Process

This painting began as a series of sketchbook roughs, just noodling around to gather feelings. Once I had enough ideas to create several scenes, I arranged for Santa to join me in a fellow artist’s home for an hour. He was very friendly and gracious, reading stories as the large family gathered around, eating cookies and drinking milk. His excellent helper was Tom Bailey of Arlington, Virginia.

Once I refined the images in Photoshop, doing a lot of experimentation with backgrounds, lighting, color correction, and format, I purchased a large sheet of tempered hardboard, available from most hardware stores. Because I don’t have a table saw, I had the store staff trim the board to size for me, creating several other sizes as well. I was very clear in my size requests and, as always, the saw operator was very patient and professional.

On my kitchen table, I cleaned the surface with 90 percent isopropyl alcohol to remove oils and dust then let it dry.

To keep the surface from bending, I used carpenters glue to adhere it to stretcher bars, clamping it in several places and letting it dry overnight. The next day I added cross-braces to the back to limit warping.

Because I like to work on smooth surfaces with a medium tooth, I coated the board with three layers of gesso thinned with about 10 percent water, letting the surface dry between each layer and then sanding it by hand.

Once the gesso was dry, I traced the image onto the surface then started adding the straight oil paint, no medium, filling in broad areas and finishing with small details. Sometimes I used a bit of odorless solvent to add smooth lines or thin details.

Once I began applying paint, I finished this in about 40 hours, sandwiching it between my day job and life.

Scroll through the pictures below to see my development process:

Comments

The One

A Poem by Sydney Christensen
https://sydneychristensencreations.myportfolio.com

Each child questions as they grow.
How can someone really know?
They say he loves all children of the world.
He takes into account, every boy and every girl.
He knows them all, each one by name.
He is known far and wide, a man of fame.
How could it all have been done in one night?
Giving hope to all, whether in comfort or in plight.
They say it is impossible, it simply cannot be.
How, out of billions, could he give his gifts to me?
Someone who knows when you sleep and when you wake,
Why would he do such things for my sake?
It may seem strange, this bearded man clothed in red
Who comes to visit, and stands by each bed.
But his love is real, and his gifts are true.
He lived and died especially for you.
Behold the wounds in hands, feet, and side.
He gave the greatest gift. He suffered and he died.
But most importantly, he rose again
And gives peace on earth, goodwill toward men.

Merry Christmas