Written by This is such a festive time of year, and nearly everything that can be decorated ends up with some little bit of adornment. For today’s prompt, I decided to just doodlewash a piece of a tree, because I didn’t have time to paint an entire one. Please simply imagine the full tree glowing brightly off to the left of this sketch once you’ve pulled your head out of these branches. This particular type of glass ornament gets rarer each year as no matter how gently we pack them, one inevitably gets shattered at some point. Instead of getting upset, I just see it as a smashing start to the holiday. Once we’ve had a chance to pull out all of the decorations for the year, the house will soon be glowing and glistening once again. It’s amazing how many little doodads and bobbles I’ve forgotten that we own when we go to unpack the boxes. Though many have been here for years, I tend to forget what’s there, so it’s always like opening the very first gift of the season.
My favorite part of this time of year is lighting and turning off the Christmas tree each evening. It’s silly, perhaps, but it’s a wonderful event. It’s made even more fun since I still use the Treeluminator, now a collector’s item, and a fabulous contraption, that appeared in the Hallmark movie I helped produce called Northpole. That was such a fun experience, and brings back lovely memories. Getting to work on holiday products at Hallmark for years was also a gift in itself! This is definitely my favorite season of the year! There are so many wonderful things that only seem to happen during this time. I get to see my family again, and then get to spend the remainder of the month enjoying silly and heartfelt traditions with my tiny family at home. We’re not actually tiny, of course, except the dog, but there’s only three of us, so it’s a rather small ensemble. But what we lack in quantity we more than make up for in holiday cheer.
If Christmas isn’t a holiday that you celebrate, then happy whatever holiday you love most! In the end, the thing that makes a holiday season memorable is everything that surrounds it. It gives us permission to enjoy things that we might often take for granted. To smile a little more, hug a little more, and cherish timeless traditions with family and friends. If you live in a climate that requires a crackling fire, then things can get even a little bit more cozy. But no matter how you celebrate your favorite holiday, one thing remains the same. The very air around you is filled with hope and possibility. And, for me, this is that season. The one that makes me feel joy and happiness as I thrill to the sparkling lights and music. And though there may be lots of tinsel and ornaments, I know that’s only a small part of the experience. The real joy of your favorite holiday, isn’t the decorations, but the incredible feeling of love that always comes with all the trimmings.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Quinacridone Red, Quinacridone Gold, Terra Cotta, Leaf Green, and Ultramarine Blue. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. |
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Once again…Wonderful art and a wonderful post Charlie. Thank you for sharing from the heart.
Thanks so much, Laura! 😃💕 So happy you enjoyed it!
I smiled as I read your post. I, too, love the lights and decorations, and I have similar “surprises” unpacking the Christmas items. Our 2 adult children come home just to help decorate. You’re right, so much love is in the air.
Yes to that! It’s really such a wonderful time of year! Thanks, Sharon! 😃💕
Love your branch and ornament – I can easily imagine the rest of that tree. Thanks for the link to North Pole. I’m all curious about it now. One of these posts you’ll have to spill the whole story for us. Inquiring minds want to know.
Thanks, Sandra! 😃💕 Hehe… I think the post I linked to spilled a lot of the beans… hehe… but yeah, there’s lots more stories to tell as always! 😉 Working on a movie was totally fun though!
Great story and love the ornament.
Thanks so much, Pamela!! 😃💕
That pine smells delicious!
Wishing you and yours the very best of Christmas with blessings that last the whole year through.
Aww thanks so much for the sweet message!! 😃💕 To you and yours as well!
<3
Thanks, Jodi!! ❤️
Charlie, you are so right about the holidays being about family and love – all the rest is replaceable and renewable details.
BTW, that bulb is one gorgeous shade of RED!
Thanks so much, Sharon!! 😃💕 Family and love are definitely the most important things in life! And thanks! Glad you liked the red… it’s actually my least favorite color to use… hehe… never can get the shade I want!
But you managed a magnificent shade of red with this bauble!
Aww thanks!! 😃💕
What a lovely painting! Looks like real! Enjoy the Christmas season! ❤️🎄🎅🏼⭐️
Thanks so much, Ann!! 😃💕 You as well!!
This year my brother is celebrating in 81 degree (Fahrenheit) weather with sun, sand and ocean all around! I was rejoicing for him as I left the house in 27 degree weather this morning. His normal weather is similar to mine. Merry Christmas!
Aww that’s wild! So warm! Yeah, I don’t love the cold, but enjoy this time of year as it fits the season! hehe 😃💕
So nice! I can smell the pine 🙂 That Treeluminator is so cool. Now I want one.
Thanks, Tom! 😃💕 Yeah, the Treeluminator is way cool! hehe… I wish they hadn’t discontinued it. So much fun!
Your little ramble made a smiling start to my day. And now I am impatiently waiting for the weekend so my daughter and I can get our tree up too.
hehe!! Yay!! 😃💕 I’m sooooo ready for the weekend so we can get this house decorated properly!! Fun!
I, too, like the traditions at this time of year, and the wonderful memories tied up in the ornaments on our tree. We still have all of the original sets of lights, and many of the original ornaments we bought for our first Christmas together 44 years ago. Add to that the ornaments our kids made over the years and ours is a Memory Christmas Tree. We have some of those glass balls, too, plain and painted ones. Alas, over the years the glass birds with their shiny fiber tails, flew away. Love your bough and glass ball!
Thanks, Susan! 😃💕 Awww… that’s so fabulous that you have those memories dating back so many years! Love that! hehe… and yeah, I would imagine glass birds would be hard to keep.
“The very air around you is filled with hope and possibility.” I certainly feel that way every time I visit your blog, Charlie. Thank you.
Aww… that’s such a sweet comment! Thank you so much, Heide. 😃💕 I really appreciate knowing you enjoy this little rambles.
it must have been pretty darn cool to work at Hallmark! your treeluminator looks kinda cool, in the hundreds of dollars now on Amazon.
hehe… yeah…. darn thing became a collector’s item. I didn’t work on that product specifically, but it was part of the whole movie concept that season, which I was very much a part of. It was definitely a fun experience! 😃💕
Just wanted to tell you how very much enjoyment these December posts are giving to me. Now my almost 4 yr. old Grandson, Benjamin, requests visiting each day to see what new “Christmas picture” and “story” you have posted. We Thank-you! P.S. Benjamin just might become the next “Doodlewasher”!
Aww… that made my heart smile, Ellen!! 😃💕 That’s wonderful!! And YES! I so hope Benjamin will be getting a set of watercolors for Christmas! hehe… I so wish I had started at that age!
First, I Love the pine needles! They look soft and prickly at the same time, just like real needles. It’s so good, it make me feel like I almost smell the pine scent and feel the softness of the needles. The composition really works in this vignette; the shiny, smooth ball cradled in the branch. Yes, can definitely imagine the rest of the tree! Merry Christmas to you and yours, Charlie!
Aww thanks so much! 😃💕 I’m so thrilled you liked this! I love nature, but always struggle a bit in painting it. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!
Thank you! I only found your blog about 1 year ago, and in that year, your paintings have changed a lot! Your work just keeps growing and it’s really, really good! I’m also always wondering how does he do SO MUCH and still get those beautiful paintings done??? Amazing!
Aww thanks!! 😃💕 Yeah, some days it’s a scramble to make a post at all, but I always show up for the party!
😃💕 I stole those emojis from your post “copy pasta” 😃
haha! Perfect! 😃💕
😁
Excellent! 😉👍🏻