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Blind Artist Vision: blog by Stella De Genova

In the American tradition, we woke up from the food coma of Thanksgiving, thinking of the fun we had with loved ones and favorite foods shared.  But not too much time to dwell because it’s Black Friday and there is work to do: what to buy for whom; pulling out all of the Christmas decorations and plan which cookies and favorite foods to make this year.  Tired yet?

Of course, this is not every person's or family’s tradition but it is ours, so that is what I know.  In my earliest memories, I can see my mom baking Christmas cookies while my dad is decorating the tree.  When the tree was finished, my big brother and I would lay under the tree, looking up at the colorful bulbs reflecting on the ornaments and garland.  Back then, we always had a real tree so the fragrance was amazing.  I also remember my baby brother taking a chomp out of a small glass ornament that was piled in a small train car that was going around the tree!

For Christians, this is a holy time of year. Composers have written music for the holiday; artists’ paintings venerate the event; and creches of the nativity evoke the Christian Bible story.  But for those who don’t “practice” the religion anymore, or who never have, it is still an event like no other. So much planning goes into the holiday and there are as many traditions as there are families.  Depending on the ethnic group, you may have your big celebration on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. Of course, gift-giving is an important way to celebrate, but for many, the real treat is the food!  We all have our favorite cookies, but the big event in our family is the “night of the 7 fishes.” Other families celebrate with homemade tamales, and others with a big roast turkey or ham and figgy pudding. 

This season is a time for lots of planning and effort to prepare for the big gatherings so it’s no surprise that I don’t get any artwork done at this time of year, nor do I have any artwork representing the holidays.  I always mean to work on that but somehow never seem to find the time. 

I am working on a couple of crafts though.  The first is crocheting a scarf for myself.  My grandma taught me how to crochet when I was very young and if I use a light color and sit near a sunny window or bright light, I can create a basic scarf.  The other project is that I had some of my artwork printed as 3” x 3” squares.  I’m decoupaging them on wooden blocks and glueing magnets on the backs.  I’m calling them mini masterpieces!

Quiet Moments

In this busy time, we all have to take a meditative breath every so often and so I leave you with 2 of my paintings that leave me with a relaxed feeling.  If you are feeling overwhelmed or exhausted, take a look at these and take a mental break!  As for me, back to holiday business and my next blog post will be in the new year.  I wish everyone peace and love in this holiday season and I hope you can find solace in your family, friends, and traditions.

Contemplation

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