Donkey and Sheep
Worked with layering and mixing the paints - the fiberglass paint is made for yachts - it is expensive, beautiful and long-lasting....so I bought only the Red, Blue , Yellow and White, and mixed all the colors myself - underpaintings and tone creation fun with it, showed nicely when done.
Lulaj
Singing the old Polish Lullaby to Jesus while I did this nuts and bolts part of the restoration.
Joseph
The Golden Key - this Saint... I talked with him, too, respectfully, while I worked - nice
Mary and Joseph in progress
she thinks she is a bride again, with her white primer wedding gown.
Sheep
Is this the face I love? yes
He knows...
One of the Kings, in progress...
Side view of King, in progress
In good company - but this one is always just a bit aloof
Crowned
underpainting in progress in blue and red and skin done...I really liked this job - a LOT of work but it never felt like it !
Presenting.....
He is red white and blue....with gifts to lay at the feet of the newborn King.
The Nubian - Morroccan?
Bag of coins at this breast to present, coat has ermine tails and more.
Gifts for the Infant
Bag of coins
Mary is wise.
As a child, the passage from the Bible about her: "Mary kept these things in her heart"
Progress and parish "moment" ...
friends at the studio looking at some of the things that were stored there before we arrived with the figures for painting...bits of carpentry, the shelving, the Fisher Price dollhouse is from the new daycare on the property. The figures appear to be just "milling about" . A parishioner called the church office asking who was out there wandering about in the garage. Was it a party? Were they left out, they asked? Fun.
Mary and Sheep
So sweet the way these photos seem to have such fun with me. I keep seeing the lambs adoring Mary as she prays.
Watchful Joseph
He is so good, Saint Joseph, attending to Mary at their special time.
camera trick
Not sure how this photo of the open garage and drive with leaves appears to be something else! Interesting.
Kneeling Shepherd
In progress, up close, some aging things remained but cleaned up and repainted correctly, the effect was very good, and the irregularities that remained looked like they belonged.
Tallest Shepherd
This one was the one that looked like Moses, when only in the white primer - but now.....
Shepherd and Lamb
He lovingly minds the little ones. I respected him.
Shepherd, Sheep and Lamb
Over and over, I'd marvel for a moment at the lovely form designs - the realism in the fabric that even showed the country rough weave of the garment and strength in the arms and legs and goodness in the face.
The Nativity in Place
Clear weatherproof top coats for the figures - done and dry, just in time - and the men of the parish got busy setting up the stable and collecting and staging the straw, and then setting the figures in place - all but the Infant Jesus. The figures surround an empty manger, in loving anticipation......soon.
The Nativity in Place - view 2
Empty manger - we pray and wait for the Newborn King....
Another angle for the Nativity group
In history, the shepherds fill an important place in the story....even then, the arrival of a child in the decent community of Mary and Joseph would have meant a lot of attention at their home.
But they were not home - they were at the site of their family ancestors , Bethlehem, far from their current town of Nazareth - there was no one around to come - so an angel found the Shepherds and the Stars themselves sent the Magi !
The Shepherds in place on site
The old mill that helped build America and the steep hills of Rockville with it's twists and turns and waterfalls visible in the background.
Joseph patient and Donkey munching straw
....waiting .....waiting...waiting...
Kneeling shepherd
So good and I was grateful that the paints took so well the job of communicating his value. Ten years later, I still see each dimple and worn spot from fiberglass dehydration - a gentle combination of the fillers and putty and then prime coat and paint and topcoat "healed" a lot of it, but not all. The protection of the new care slows further degeneration at least.
So he reminds me "It's not about me, anyway. It's about the Infant Jesus ! "
I smile - thank you very much!
Shepherds
The humblest often are called up to share their inarguable truths.
Wise Man
He's very very snooty, yet belongs to the Lord and his powers of truth.
The Nativity Group Stable
The mean took up this part of the task - with wood fixes where needed and fresh paint.
The Nativity
On site are now the elements to support the arrival of the Infant.