Ramblings of a Santa Artist at Christmastime

I’ve been asked (and sometimes challenged!) why it is I've chosen the idea of Santa as the focus of my artwork. I’ve been thinking about that question lately, and have decided to try and give it an answer, as best I can – no doubt as much (or more) for myself as for anyone else. (Sometimes it’s good to stop and check where you are and what you’re doing, don’t you agree?)

Art is a sort of discovery process, I think. We dig deep sometimes - uncovering pieces and parts of us that tell of who we are, what we think and dream about under all this skin and bone we carry around for protection.

I've been drawn to this “Santa� character - the idea, the legends and my own vision of who (or what) he might be - since childhood. Whether drawing, painting, sculpting or carving, my own artwork has always drifted toward some expression of it.

Known by various names around the world, “Santa� has become a timeless legend - the magical gift-giver whose only limit is our own imagination. But as with many legends and stories over time, it did start with a real person. He was St. Nicholas, a bishop in the early Church. Many of the details of his life are hazy and all sorts of legends and myths are intermixed with truth. But we do know that he was born the only child of very wealthy parents in the year 280. His parents died while he was young, and he inherited their great wealth. As he grew, he felt led to enter the ministry, studied for the priesthood and was later appointed bishop while still a very young man.

One day, he heard of a poor family with three daughters who had already reached the age to marry. But no men were willing to marry them because their father was too poor to pay their dowry – a very important custom in those days. Nicholas filled three pouches with gold and, under cover of darkness, went to their home and tossed a pouch through the window of each daughter. When the family woke the next morning, they were filled with joy by this mysterious gift, and the daughters were able to marry and go on to have their own families. That, my friend, was a very cool thing Nicholas had done.

From this first secret visit of gift-giving, and through many more stories like it, rose the legend that unexpected gifts come from St. Nicholas - from which rose the custom that Christmas gifts comes from St. Nicholas. The legend continued to grow with the help of human imagination: his name would change as the legend spread to other cultures; a writer gave him some reindeer; a cartoonist gave him a red suit and pipe; another artist gave him a workshop of elves to help prepare his gifts. We’ve each added our own dreams and imaginings to the legend of Santa and it’s fun to do – no matter how old a child you are.

But at the core – under all the dazzling images that make us feel like wide-eyed children again - remains the simple story: an orphaned boy who gave his life to God and helping others in need. THAT, to me, is cooler than much of the glitter we’ve added over the years. And it’s sure a nicer thing to honor than many of the folks whose names have been engraved into our lives and calendars over the years.

It is all and as simple as that - the spirit of hope: of kindness, compassion and giving – that I try to celebrate through my work as a Santa artist. It's my hope that each new fellow I create embodies that same gentle spirit, yet adds his own personal story to the legend that is Santa.

Do I believe in Santa? You bet I do.

Teri

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Geez Teri! Thats deep! I thought you picked Santas because it was so easy to spell!! 8) : :P

I can't carve him, but I DO believe!

Al

I, like you Teri, have also been asked often why is I carve Santas. Like you too...that is all I carve all year long. I can't really explain it, other than the fact that I just love to carve them. Once and a while I have to carve something other than a Santa....and all of a sudden....ITS WORK to do the piece. But when its done, and I pick up another Santa to work on....its like...ahhhhhhh....I'm home again. Maybe only someone that carves Santas all year long can understand what I mean. Its just where my love is. My whole studio is full of Santas of all shapes and sizes. Photos, prints, woodcarvings, sculpture, etc, etc, etc. I figure for all of those people that have to spend all day doing something that they hate to do, just to pay the bills, that I'm a very lucky and fortunate person. Not saying that living the life of an artist is easy all of the time. We spend long, very long hours doing what we do...the differance is, is that we get paid for doing something that we love to do. I have more people tell me how lucky I am to be doing what I do, and how they wish they could do something like this. Of course, where are they when I'm going to bed at 3am after working for 16+ hours, but hey, I'm still getting to do what 'I' want to do all day long! But there is nothing else I'd rather be carving than Santas, and if I never sold another one in my life, I'd still keep making them...how crazy is that huh?!

Teri,
by reading your ramblings it is very easy to see that the passion for them is very deep. It is depicted in the passion and enthusiasm is what you write. I have learned a whole lot about the santa from your story and a whole lot more about you. I have admired your artistry ever since I came to this board you are a true inspiration to all of us wood be santa carvers I hope that I can be as passionate about them now I am starting to carve them as you. I know the feeling because I can be that way about my tree spirits and as you know I do carve other things but as you have said when you go back to what you are used to doing it feels like going home. Oh yes by the way I finally got my Carving Magazine and read you article great job looks like you had fun doing it.
Colin

Terri
yes you are indeed fortunate to be doing something you like. I have viewed your pic page and you have some otstanding pieces.

I hope that by this time next year i will be selling a few of my sticks and getting my SS disability and hopefully the 2 together will be enough for me to meek out a living.

With every stick I do the carvings are getting better. I love doing the wood spirits because there is no set way that they should look. Even though I start each one the same, every wood spirit is different. Not that I try to make them different but they turn out that way. Guess it depends on my mood at the time. Lil woman said the last 1 looked mean. Oh well guess he was upset because I took away some of his wood huh.
Going to try my luck at carving a pistol and carving either a dog or wolf after the first of the year. Also want to do some dog heads for the sticks.

[muffy]

Dear Sir, Could you please give me a hand and answer this for me?? Im wondering if it makes much difference if the larger part of the stick is down or up on the top? It seems that if you leave the larger part on the top of the stick you would a lot more room to carve a better picture. Thanks for any help you can give me........muffy...

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Large end up! and grass is green side up! LOL oops, guess only us southwesterners are concerned with grass this time of year LOL :

Thanks, all - sometimes I get carried away with my ramblings.

But, there is one thing I must clear up.

[move]Not ALL grass is green side up[/move]

'There are so many colors in the rainbow
so many colors in the morning sun
so many colors in the rainbow
so let's use every one.'
~ Harry Chapin

Ter