All is Calm – Christmas still life of candle with holly

Back story…I wanted a still life that captured the calm you can find as winter comes near and we celebrate Christmas. Taking a favorite brass candlestick and laying some holly I picked from our yard in Exeter below it, I arranged and painted this still life in my laundry room studio. This was my little space while my studio space was renovated. Inside the tiny space, I set my still life inside a small cardboard box to control the shadows. In this tiny space inside a tinier space, I felt like the Ukranian nesting doll. But inside the smallest package can be the best prize. The challenge for me was figuring out how to get that candle to glow and to decide on the right size. As it burned, the candle sunk lower and lower. Sometimes this is how the message of hope seems, so small in this world of LinkedIn business contacts and global enterprises. But God came to look us squarely in the eye and bring calm and light, this good news still can conquer the highest building and the hardest heart. The title you may recognize; “All is calm, all is bright” is from the chorus of the famous Christmas carol “Silent Night” a tune my family likes to sing together around the piano or guitar at Christmas.

All Jonalyn’s paintings arrive with a living edge. You can frame her art by either covering or showcasing this raw edge. Jonalyn’s favorite way to frame her work is in a “float mount” showcasing this raw, living edge.