Drumlane Abbey, Cavan - 24.11.2014

Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? Why have you gone away...?

[listen]

...

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Amazing time of the year. Usually. This year I feel like someone stole Christmas from me... Every year I start my Christmas preparations a month in advance and just spend the month searching for presents and writing cards.. This year however I had to rush everything, didn't write any cards and my presents weren't as thoughtful as usually.
Why? well... the answer is simple. I got a job. 

During the Christmas period we spend so much time worrying about money and our jobs. In all that hassle of everyday worries and problems we fail to truly experience Christmas. 
Christmas Day has become the most stressful day of the year for because everything has to ready and perfect even though we're spending it with our families. 
Christmas has been so commercialised that it is more about the presents and showing off than it is about having quality family time. Christmas itself has become purely a day focused on money.

I doubt that I'll get a Christmas job next year because this year it has simply robbed me instead of giving me something (except for money of course). On Christmas Day I was too exhausted to enjoy it. I literally fell asleep.

Christmas huh .. 

...

Here's one of my latest paintings. It was created for the man with whom I have spent my Christmas this year.
It was a gift for his 19th birthday and it took me exactly 19 hours (which was of course a coincidence) :)

It's a painting of Drumlane Abbey, Cavan - a place where his Grandparents are buried. I wasn't just being creepy - he asked me for a painting of that place ages ago :)


Here is it:

Painted using artists' oil paints from Winston and Newton on a 18"x14" canvas, also from Winston and Newton.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas :) !!!



Lots of Love,
Marlena x