Elegant Simplicity at Christmas

December's Bounty by Elizabeth Floyd

8" x 8" - oil on canvas panel

Ah.. it's Christmas again, that time of year when you either revel in the season or feel a strong inclination to grumble a "bah humbug!" My remedy for keeping Christmas cheer is to keep it simple. That was my mantra last Christmas, and it worked so well that I'm giving it another go this year. The truth is that at Christmastime, especially, there are no trimmings more beautiful or elegant than what nature offers. I think the natural elegance of the season is perfectly depicted in Elizabeth Floyd's lovely painting, December's Bounty. 

December's Bounty - 14" x 14" with frame

Framed painting: $300.00 starting bid + S&H

Her composition and talented rendering of pomegranate, holly and hellebore underscore the beauty of some of the season's best offerings. I think it would make a wonderful, treasured Christmas present, don't you? You must read her blog post on how the painting came about, here. The painting is available for purchase via online auction here. 

On Pinterest (that beloved shrine of beauty), I've gathered lots of inspiration for creating a natural Christmas scene. If you have a little do-it-yourself hankering in your fingers, you'll have to go no further than the farmer's market or perhaps your own yard to recreate many of the splendid things you'll find, here.

Around my house this year, the simplest delights include strings of white lights on the shrubs and eves of the house, a Charlie Brown Christmas tree loaded with ornaments, the wood tree trunk peering through the boughs, and an over-sized creche taking center-stage on a bed of sheet moss. 

I hope you're having a happy Christmas! I'll be back a few days from now with a few photos from around my house.

-Keri