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Sunday, December 18, 2005
Giving spirit: it's in the cards
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
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Staring out the window of the dining room where he sat for breakfast, Charles DuBack noticed a shelf of ice forming on the St. George River. Overnight, a light layer of snow had fallen on the point of land leading to the water. Inspired by the tranquility of the early-December scene before him, DuBack took out his paints and reproduced the image for his annual Christmas card. For DuBack and other artists, the holidays present the opportunity to make a greeting card that is both original and unique, and something to be cherished by friends and family. When he completed the original painting, DuBack made a stencil so he could reproduce the image without sacrificing originality. An old-school artist, he made each card individually, leaving his mark and a handwritten greeting. Making the 75 to 100 cards that he and his wife sent out took about three days. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth it," said DuBack, who lives in Tenants Harbor. "I just like to do it. It's a personal thing for me and whoever gets the cards. It's a nice way of doing something personal." Connie Hayes, who lives in Rockland, used to make her Christmas cards by hand, using either watercolor or acrylic paints. As her life became busier and her greeting card list grew, she began reproducing an original oil painting for use as a holiday card. This year, she and her husband, George Terrien, are sending cards with an image that Hayes painted in 2004, "Yellow Kitchen, Cushings Island." It's a warm, interior painting of a kitchen nook, with daylight streaming through the panes of a large window and door. It doubles as a change-of-address note for Hayes and Terrien, who moved to Rockland from Portland. "Sending our warmest new year wishes and our new address for 2005," says the card, which on the back also includes a tiny sketch by Terrien of the couple's front porch in Rockland. Over time, artists have personalized the holidays with original cards and gifts, often handmade. In 1923, Edward Hopper made a card for his beloved Jo, depicting them together, reclining before an open window in Paris with the spires of Notre Dame visible in the distance. Jamie Wyeth learned to paint while seated at the elbow of his dad, as Andrew Wyeth painted individual Christmas cards. His father's themes often involved snowy scenes from Maine or from the family's winter home in Pennsylvania, Jamie Wyeth recalled. "Making cards, that is where I really learned watercolors with my father," he said. "He used to literally make little paintings for everybody on his list. I would sit with him and make my own cards, just for family members or close family friends." Nowadays, some of Andrew Wyeth's cards show up at auction houses, fetching several thousand dollars. Jamie Wyeth still paints precious scenes for his wife at Christmas, often involving family pets. But he no longer paints individual cards, and instead makes a new painting each year that he reproduces for the family's Christmas card. This year's card is a study of his wife cutting holly. Alison Rector, a painter from Monroe, begins thinking about her card in the fall. For her card, she makes silk-screen prints by hand, which she sends to about 150 friends and family, as well as collectors. Her cards have become so popular that Rector has exhibited them in galleries, and next year the Center for Maine Contemporary Art will include several of her Christmas card images in a statewide print exhibition. She treats her cards as a gift of art. "It's a way to connect with people who have bought my other work during the year, and to thank them," she said. She tries to avoid Christmas themes, and instead focuses on winter. This year, Rector's card features her new dog, a Swedish Vallhund, snoozing with a stray cat that the artist took in. "I try to avoid cutesy-pie, but the images are a little more cute this year," she confesses, calling herself "a slightly crazy dog person. I am little embarrassed, but the dog is something that happened to me this year, and the card is intended to document something that happened in my life." John Whalley, a painter who lives near Damariscotta, also tries to avoid explicit holiday themes. He spends much of his year collecting items from nature that he later uses as fodder for his still life paintings. Lately, a favorite topic is pine cones, which he finds pleasurable to paint because of their structure. This year, Whalley's card features a graphite drawing of a pine cone. "The pine cones lend themselves to the holidays, so I thought that made sense," he said. For this season's greeting card, Portland painter Lucian Burg created a triptych of three photographs that he took while traveling in Europe. He and his wife, Marie Pollard, send the cards to close friends. Burg knows that the people who receive his cards appreciate them because he often sees the cards displayed, either taped to a fridge or placed on a mantel. Some people frame the cards and hang them on a wall. The effort to make something original and personal is worthwhile when the card is treasured by the person who receives it, Burg said. "In this fast-paced world where everyone is rush, rush, rush, it's nice to have something made by hand and made with creativity. It's so much better than a store-bought card without soulfulness," he said. Larry Warren attests to that. Warren is close friends with Stratton painter Marguerite Robichaux. Each year, he invites her to a birthday party that he throws for himself. His birthday is Christmas Eve. "Marguerite has been invited since '88 or '89 and has come most every year, and most every year she comes with a little painted card. I cherish them," said Warren. He's kept every card he has received from her, and earlier this year had them framed. The framed cards now hang in a new home Warren and his wife built on the Carrabassett River. "Marguerite is a very dear friend, and has been a long and valued friend. I admire her work, and the fact that she has the skills and talent, and to be able to share those with friends, is very important and very gratifying and appreciated," he said. Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:
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