Creativity Magazine

No Partridge, No Pear Tree, But We Do Have Birds, Trees, And A Famous Saint

By Mrstrongest @mrstrongarm

I’ve been doing a Christmas cover illustration for editor Eric Meisfjord and the Inland Register for quite a few years now. I always look forward to it. The Inland Register is the monthly news magazine for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington, USA.

This year’s cover featured some unusual “contemplatives”– here’s the final: 

Christmas cover illustration for Inland Register Spokane's Catholic diocesan newspaper showing snowy wooded winter outdoor setting, birds in trees with feeders looking at tiny creche Nativity scene with Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, shepherds, with Saint Francis of Assisi smiling down on everyone

My original concept did not include Saint Francis. That was Mr. Meisfjord’s suggestion, and it was an inspiration for a couple of reasons.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved Catholic saints. Rich kid, wild youth, dramatic conversion, a life of humility, simplicity, poverty, and personal holiness. It’s a story that gets your attention.

There are many stories and legends about Saint Francis, including his preaching to the birds and other animals. He is very much identified with a love of nature and all creation.

Below, left: Saint Francis by Jusepe de Ribera; middle: St. Francis preaching to a
very diverse “flock” (I regret to say I’ve been unable to discover who did this wonderful illustration); right: a St. Francis statue (many people have one in their garden).

images of famous catholic friar and saint Saint Francis of Assisi who supposedly preached to birds and animals and is associated with nature and the environment and all God's creation, his statue is often found in people's gardens

Here’s a detail image with my own take on St. Francis. I definitely see him with a smile on his face.

detail image for Christmas cover illustration for Inland Register Spokane's Catholic diocesan newspaper showing snowy wooded winter outdoor setting, birds in trees with feeders looking at tiny creche Nativity scene with Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, shepherds, with Saint Francis of Assisi smiling down on everyone

I said including St. Francis here was an inspiration for a couple of reasons. OK, he has an association with birds– what’s the second reason?

He created the very first Christmas creche in 1223, using live animals. A creche, also known as a Nativity scene, is a three-dimensional representation of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem.

The concept became enormously popular, and remains so to this day. Key figures include Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus, shepherds, animals, and the Magi.

images of Christmas creches which are representations of the Bethlehem manger and the Nativity and the birth of Jesus Son of God and include figures of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, shepherds, sheep, animals, and the Wise Men, Magi, Three Kings

I kept my creche very simple, knowing it would be a very small part of the illustration. So: no sheep, no Magi. Here’s another detail image:

detail image of Christmas cover illustration for Inland Register Spokane's Catholic diocesan newspaper showing snowy wooded winter outdoor setting, birds in trees with feeders looking at tiny creche Nativity scene with Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, shepherds, with Saint Francis of Assisi smiling down on everyone

Naturally, at this point, the big question on everybody’s mind is: What’s the total number of birds in the illustration?

I count 76. Most of them are cardinals and black-capped chickadees.

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What do you think? Are you familiar with St. Francis? Is a creche part of your Christmas? Have you ever hung one in a tree?? Hope you’ll leave a comment.

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