When most people hear Christmas in July, they probably think of retailers clearing inventory or an excuse to get a jump on holiday shopping.
Artists hear something completely different. For us, Christmas in July is when the holiday creation season begins.
While everyone else is splashing in the pool trying to survive the brutal Georgia heat, I’m in my studio with the air conditioning cranked up thinking about angels, Santa portraits, and Christmas ornaments. Yes, it feels a little backwards. I’ve come to accept that art doesn’t always follow the calendar.
I’ve loved Christmas for as long as I can remember, yet I never intended to become one of those Christmas crazy collector people.
The year I bought my first home, I wandered into this artisan store called By Hand South hoping to find something special that fit my budget. I settled on a handmade ornament for my very first Christmas tree. I loved knowing it was a one-of-a-kind piece created by an artist. Without realizing it, I had started my very first art collection.
Eventually my collection grew beyond the Christmas tree. One day I stumbled across a painting of a flying Santa wearing cowboy boots. It was painted on a reclaimed cabinet door and had so much rustic, whimsical charm that I just had to have it.
That painting made me an accidental collector of Christmas themed art. I started looking for it at every art festival and gallery I visited. I quickly learned that original holiday paintings are surprisingly rare, even during the holidays, because most artists don’t make much Christmas-themed artwork. I suppose there aren’t enough people looking to buy it. Except me, of course.
Over the years, I’ve slowly built my collection, one rare find at a time. Every November when I hang those paintings, they feel brand new all over again.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my everyday artwork. It’s just when you walk past it hundreds of times, it slowly becomes part of the background. You still appreciate it, but it’s easy to stop really seeing it. Christmas art never gets the chance to become invisible.
My art teacher Amanda is always reminding us to paint what we love so it was only natural that I started creating Christmas art myself. Holidays in my heART was the name of my first collection release and to my pleasant surprise I sold more than half of it within the first 24 hours of the launch. It featured everything I love about the season—reindeer, angels, Santa portraits, and cheerful flower arrangements in holiday vases. Every painting told a story inspired by the magical memories Christmas has given me.
I haven’t sold another Christmas painting since that collection, although I have gifted a few to friends. In fact, I recently painted Jammy Wine Time, as a birthday gift for one of them.
You might be thinking that giving artwork as a gift is risky since art is so personal. But somehow, Christmas art feels different. The same goes for holiday art in general. It doesn’t have to earn a permanent spot on anyone’s wall. It’s only asking for a brief visit once a year, which takes all the pressure off.
This year Christmas in July has found its way into my studio. I was part of an ornament swap with a few fellow Glamour Possums (the wonderfully creative members of the Insider’s Studio) and I used this as an excuse to experiment with different materials and techniques for making ornaments. I ended up sending the artists in my group two ornaments: a Christmas-themed Glamour Possum and a poinsettia.
I hope those ornaments become part of someone’s Christmas tradition. I can’t wait to do this swap again next July.
Apparently, I like creating art in seasons. In between the angels and hearts and more everyday paintings, you’ve seen my bunnies and birds in the spring and my pumpkins in the fall. And lately, I’ve been quietly working on something else.
For now, I’m going to keep that something else under wraps. Just like Christmas itself, some things are more fun when there’s a little anticipation.
So while everyone else is outside squeezing every last drop out of summer, I’m down in my studio dreaming about the holidays and preparing for the joy they’ll bring.
Happy Christmas in July!
