Nativity

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..."

One of my more successful watercolors, and just in time too. I've played around with the idea of a familiar Christmas scene in a contemporary setting, and this one was the first to really surface. Most Nativity Scenes that we put next to our Christmas trees are pretty and polished and very much not like Christ's birth at all. We must remember that He was born in a stable where there were dirty, travel-worn animals, trodden straw and manure. In a modern setting, it would be a garage instead of a stable, and that's where I've placed Mary and Jesus here. In my original idea it was more crowded, with a car in the background and anxious visitors (equivalent to the shepherds) coming in, but in the end I decided to make it quieter, with only a few colors, and more contemplative. After all, it is "Silent Night."

Crits and comments are appreciated, as usual, and a very Merry Christmas to you all!