When I visited my sister last spring in Kansas City, we got to talking about our childhood home in Phoenix. Our home was a very comforting and welcoming place, and our two parents took good care of it and us. I did not know it at the time, but we were blessed.
The house was large because we were a big family, and our dad was a building contractor- a serendipitous occupation given our ever-growing numbers. He also was a sculptor, and when his large, angel-shaped weather vanes spun in the wind, it felt magical.
My sister, an architect, remembered more of the details. With her help, I was able to do a gouache sketch of the front of our childhood home. Eventually, the drawing had the elements in the right places. The windows were on the correct walls, the angels were in the driveway, and the hedges and trees were along the front and side. But even with the detail, it never felt like I got it right, so I put the sketch aside.
The Christmas story is partially about a family finding a place of love and safety in uncertain times. After all the upheaval of the past two years, I wondered if I could adapt the sketch of our childhood home to convey this message in my 2021 Christmas card. Using Procreate, an app for the iPad, I considered multiple versions of the scene. Windows and foliage were removed. At times, people were on the porch and in windows, and the sun and the moon sometimes shone overhead. This went on and on, and I was at the point of going with a different theme and sketch. Then, I moved the angels off the driveway into the sky, and it finally felt right.
May the angels of Love, Safety, and Zest bless your homes!
Merry Christmas to all!
Deliberate Sketching 
So beautiful and such a lovely story to share❤️😻
On Thu, Dec 23, 2021 at 4:41 PM, Deliberate Sketching wrote:
> Sarah Sullivan posted: ” Happy Holidays 2021! When I visited my sister > last spring in Kansas City, we got to talking about our childhood home in > Phoenix. Our home was a very comforting and welcoming place, and our two > parents took good care of it and us. I did not know it at ” >
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Thank you Alana, and Happy Holidays to all of you!
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It seems silly to “like” a picture when in reality you “love” both the story and the picture. Sending even more love for a happy and healthy new year! Xox
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Thank you Deborah! Hope your Holiday is full of Joy!
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I am touched by your story. I wish you the best in 2022.
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Thank you Claudia, wishing you all the best too!
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Wow, what a story. It is beautiful, both the angels and the house. Thks
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Merry Christmas, Bev! And thank you for all the support of my blog, I appreciate it!
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It is lovely in intent and result, Sarah. As we know, memory is imperfect and your story of working with a combination of your own and your sister’s memories is inspiring. Thank you for visiting my blog, and best of luck with creating in 2022
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Hi Lone,
I came to your blog because Sketchuniverse highlighted your piece about the ibis. I like your style quite a bit, your lines and shapes remind me a bit of Dea Trier Mørch’s prints. And I found the process you used to make an ibis jacket fascinating. I will be looking often at your site. Merry Christmas!
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I love this Sally!!!
On Thu, Dec 23, 2021, 3:41 PM Deliberate Sketching wrote:
> Sarah Sullivan posted: ” Happy Holidays 2021! When I visited my sister > last spring in Kansas City, we got to talking about our childhood home in > Phoenix. Our home was a very comforting and welcoming place, and our two > parents took good care of it and us. I did not know it at ” >
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Thank you for your help, Mary!
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Merry Christmas 🌲
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Happy Holidays to you!
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Thank you 😊
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I love it too.
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Thank you, Joe, Merry Christmas!
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Thank you Sally for sharing this touching story. So moving and beautiful ❄️
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Thank you, Laura, hope your travels are happy and safe!
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Merry Christmas. 🎄
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