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Christmas

Designer Christmas and Complementary Colors

cartoon of a man and a green monster in a Santa costume. The Monster says, "The great thing about being a monster around Christmas is it's the on day I can wear a red outfit with my green skin."Christmas is one holiday where we see red and green everywhere. It grabs our attention. Any other time of the year, we would be chided for wearing such clashing colors. My wife has spent the better part of thirty years reminding me why that is a no-no… except at Christmas!

Red and green are color complements. If we look at a color wheel, red and green are opposite of each other on the wheel.

Basic Color wheel with primary and secondary colors
A basic color wheel with primary and secondary colors.

Complementary colors fight for attention. They bring energy and strength to any object or artwork that uses the colors together. Isn’t it a bit ironic that a holiday associated with peace, comfort, and joy has such a color theme?

Then again, Christmas isn’t quite as it seems. A king is born in a barn. Shepherds are the first to visit the newborn. Magi must keep the good news a secret from another, insecure, power-hungry king.

There is much more to Christmas than peaceful nativity scenes and carols about sleepy towns and babies that don’t cry.

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Adobe Photoshop Bible Christmas holiday The Gospels

The Christmas Story in a Speed Drawing

This year, I had the chance to illustrate the Christmas story for a family party. I narrated the story from Luke 2 and Matthew 2 in the Bible. 

May you have a merry Christmas!

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cartoon children cartoons Christmas holiday

Naughty, Nice or Gross?

Cartoon of a boy and girl. The boy asks, "I can't be naughty during Christmas? What about gross? Can I be that?"
When people talk about doing something they know is wrong, they frequently describe it as feeling dirty and want to get clean. Boys, on the other hand, love to play in the mud. They jump at the chance to get messy and gross. If they can get Mom, a sister, or a friend that is a girl to be repulsed by their condition, so much the better!

This Christmas, maybe the best gift would be to let a boy get messy without getting on Santa’s naughty list. There has to be a place in the garage or in the basement you can spread out some paper and let the kids get a little creative and messy this holiday season. Just watch out for glitter. Once that is out of the container, that stuff shows up everywhere!

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cartoon Christmas holiday The Gospels

Manger Recall

Cartoon of two boys at a manger scene. One says, "Good thing Caesar Augustus didn't order a safety recall on mangers."That first Christmas was not a safe Christmas. A stable would have been a nightmare for a first time, germaphobe mother. A manger was not a safe alternative to a crib. Who knows what critters were scurrying around at night?

Maybe Christmas is not supposed to be safe. Most amazing events never are. There’s some risk involved. That said, safety recalls are still a good idea!

I drew this cartoon for Church of God Ministries, Anderson, Indiana

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cartoon Christmas holiday

A Viral Christmas

Cartoon of a sick couple. One says, “This is the last year that for Christmas, we’re giving each other the flu!”There are some things that are just not nice to give. The flu, bronchitis, and a host of icky, sticky viruses and bacteria are way too giving They will find you, greet you and put you out of commission for several days.

Here’s to hoping your holidays will be virus free!