Head and Shoulders of Smiling Santa Claus 1969

Haddon Sundblom made this painting of Santa, his head and shoulders framed by white space, sometime in the twentieth century. I imagine Sundblom mixing up a peachy pigment for Santa’s skin, layering it on with confident strokes to give his face a rosy glow. Look at the gleam in those eyes. It's a controlled palette, with dabs of red in the hat and lips, but mostly, the texture is built with shades of white and cream, creating the depth and volume of Santa’s beard. You know, there’s something about the way the paint sits on the canvas that makes me feel like I could reach out and touch it. I love how artists can take something familiar, like Santa Claus, and make it their own through the simple act of painting. There’s a real back and forth in painting, each decision informing the next. And when it all comes together, we have a painting that speaks to us, connects to the past, and inspires what comes next.