THE BIRTHDAY OF THE KING Mixed Media 20x24 Canvas

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Christmas is fast approaching and for me...

it's the very special celebration of the birthday of Jesus. 

I love to sing (in fact used to solo with Up With People!!) and my favorite solo at Christmas is: Twas the Birthday of the King.

My Mama sang it before me and I carried on the tradition. Wish I knew how to include a little audio for you!!! But here is a picture... as you can see... I get quite into the spirit of the song! Singing praise and worship songs of any kind is instant joy for me!

I said all that.... to say... I loved painting this picture because I sang that song the entire time - along with other Christmas songs! 

Here is my version of "The Birthday of the King". 

The following products were used: 

I began with some texture - adding glass bead gel to the canvas. 

Working on the sky was quite the adventure.  Here is a picture I snapped along the way!  My first color was the very dark DecoArt Prussian Blue Hue. Then it going back and forth from the DecoArt Titanium White and the blue until I made a night sky. 

Here is how the painting looked at quitting time the first day. 

The next time I began adding stamps and stencils.  The sky stencils were the big star in the center and the tiny stars - both stencils were by Plaid.  I got them in a lot of old stencils when I first started painting a year ago - just to have something to work with!  You can see the other one in the picture above. 

The stamps used on this painting are all Rubber Dance Art Stamps.

And no - my acrylic block isn't dirty at all but my pad below sure is!!!  Heheheh! I mix my paints on it and never clean it thoroughly until I'm finished!!  For the swirls in the sky - using this stamp - I used DecoArt Media Titanium White Antiquing Cream - just turned the stamp over in the cream and then added it to the sky. 

Here you can see I added the stamped swirls and some shading to the hills and valleys. 

I wanted texture on the hills and valleys too! 

After the small stars were dry I highlighted them with DecoArt  Radiant Red Metallic Lustre. And a bit on the big star too!

Then I began adding the town of Bethlehem! I drew the palm tree with my ever present Faber-Castell Big Brush and Pitt Pens.  The palms are with Prussian Blue Hue. The trunk with Naphthal Red and Quinacridone Gold (which is more red than gold). 

I love trying to use my stamps in crazy ways so I made the city with the help of more Rubber Dance Stamps! 

Then I painted in the little town as my imaginations saw it! 

Now if you laughed when you saw my sheep - it's ok because they are very unique!!! But at least I was brave enough to draw them.  I should have had a sheep stamp - you are so right!  Well... ok - a manger scene stamp would have been great too!!!!!!!! 

The last accent was to add DecoArt Glamour Dust. If you haven't tried it - you should. But then, I love glitz and glam and sparkle so it ends up in a LOT of my projects! 

I am blessed to be able to paint picture of how I imaged Bethlehem might have looked when Christ was born. 

Even the sides are fun to do and to see!!!

Happy, blessed, and especially meaningful Christmas to you all. 

With Love, j.

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Excited to enter this painting in the following challenges: 

Rubber Dance Art Stamps

Nov/Dec Challenge

"Tis the Season" for the Star of Bethlehem! 

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Our Creative Corner

Wish Upon A Star

I wished on my star.... 

for you ALL to have a Blessed Holiday Season!

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Craft Stamper Magazine

Take It Make It Challenge - December

Sharing the Season

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The Artistic Stamper

Creative Team Blog

'Christmas' Challenge

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