by Louise Seirmarco-Yale, Reston Artist
Ah. December...the most art-filled month of the year! The world is ablaze with creativity, whether it is the clever stringing of lights or life-sized snowmen. Everyone gets into the spirit whether creating or appreciating art. The holidays seem to awaken our creative spirit, reminding us of the artistic potential that resides in us all—and December feels like its perfect canvas.
The wreath may be the most universally recognized symbol, transcending cultures with timeless meanings. Whether symbolizing eternity with its circular shape, or just taming twigs, branches, and berries into a wheel, art, as always, rolls right in with it.
Taming nature is always a work of art, whether large farmlands sculpted for winter wheat, or topiaries carved into familiar shapes. We love to make Mother Nature satisfy our wish for more beauty out of something organic.
Find an evergreen branch, twist it into a circle and voilà! It is a welcoming door ornament, a festive table centerpiece, or a garland for the staircase. It’s intriguing to wonder if even cavemen used branches to decorate.
Why are we so drawn to the evergreen's beauty? Maybe it reassures us, amid winter’s barrenness, that spring will return. Whatever the reason, people across cultures and religions find ways to weave this circular form into meaningful art.
Art is always a kind of celebration. Whether it’s listening to Handel’s “Messiah” or watching a production of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the season invites us to experience professional arts. But there’s also joy in creating something beautiful for its own sake – it turns us into artists ourselves. If we are lucky, we establish a tradition.
In my family, the gingerbread house was a big deal. There was something miraculous about gluing candies onto a cookie-house with frosting. We loved making them. Was it because we could make it any way we wished, without rules? Probably. The result was always a work of art--fanciful, and colorful, though sadly inedible. The whole project was magical. As we grew older, the houses grew better, and making them became a fond memory.
If you have one of those traditions that exists only because of the warm feelings it brings you, that, my friend, is art.
Art is based on emotional response. There is no greater time for good feelings than holiday memory-making time. Go outside, pluck a few branches, twist them into a circle of joy, and find just the right way to share your homemade art. Free yourself to have fun. There is an art to that as well.
It’s time for Happy Holiday Art Making. Go for it!
-Louise Seirmarco-Yale is a Reston artist, speaker, teacher and author of “Art. You Be The Judge. Reawaken your Instincts and Enjoy Art On Your Own Terms” is available on Amazon. Learn more at www.peopleneedart.com, or email her at: hello@peopleneedart.com
Comments