A Smile Would Look Pretty Good

Every year around this time I start to think about what I should put on our front window. We have this very large picture window that just cries out to have some kind of decoration at this time of year. I have tried taping lights up, but the tape gave way and the lights ended up in a pile on the floor. I can’t remember when I thought that I could paint a Christmas themed picture on that window, but I have now been doing it for a number of years.

The paintings for the first few years were not very good, and to tell the truth none of them are what I would call good art, but I enjoy coming up with an idea and then painting it. Those early years I spent trying to find the proper paint and method of going about the window. I asked a few professional window painters what kind of paint they use and how they manage to get the designs from mind to paper to window. Generally, although they are friendly enough, I would get vague responses, the most irritating was the “Whatever works for you.” answer. I guess they figured I was going to take their business away from them. If only they could see what a shit artist I am they would never worry.

It has become my Christmas tradition now, and I can’t imagine a year without painting the window. Sometimes when I think about moving to another house, I worry that there won’t be a large window for me to draw on at Christmas time. I suppose that I could just do several smaller pictures. I usually take a couple of days to finish it because the original concept usually has little to do with the final product. Sometimes I change things because I can’t draw what I would like and other times what I have drawn just isn’t right somehow.

Once I have finished, I have finished and don’t want to touch it until I take it off of the window in January. Last year I included two minions, one for each of my grandsons. One of them had two eyed goggles and the other had one eyed goggles. It turned out that Tornado wanted to have two eyes like his older brother, so I had to do an alteration. I always get helpful suggestions from friends and family. “You should have done this…” or “Maybe the shirt could have been a lighter blue…” or “Well, as long as you like it I suppose.”

It is interesting that people like to show there appreciation by offering suggestions about how it could have been a little better. I know it could have been better, but not from me. I wonder if when Leonardo took a step back from his “Last Supper” to admire his art, the Duke of Milan said “Jesus looks so sad, can’t you put a smile on his face?”

Leonardo would look at him and say “There is a reason I call it The Last Supper after all.”

“Hmmmm… you might be right, but still, a smile would look pretty good. Just sayin’”