Christmas Star | by Jan Fagan
GIVE is the theme of our December issue, and we have the privilege of featuring the artwork of Jan Fagan on our cover. Jan lives and works at her art full time in the Pacific Northwest, but she has lived all over the United States, from Hawaii to the east coast. Her love of illustration and art started very young when she was an “Army Brat,” which introduced her to a constant supply of exciting new experiences and diverse people. Her artwork encourages people to view the world through the eyes of a child. In this way, young and old alike can fill their lives with wonder and magic. Jan’s favorite medium is artist-grade colored pencil and pen, but she also enjoys creating characters from clay when the need for a creative diversion arises. She is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her work has been featured two years in a row in Ann Kullberg’s CP Treasures volumes 4 and 5 (2016 and 2017), a juried book of 120 colored pencil artists whose work is chosen from more than 800 artist submissions worldwide. To see more, visit http://www.janfaganart.com and http://www.etsy.com/shop/JanFaganArt.
In addition to her whimsical colored drawing, Jan has graciously agreed to GIVE our readers a blank version of ‘Christmas Star’ to download, print, and color. So get out your colored pencils, and enjoy this month’s art and articles from all of us at Kindred Magazine. Happy holidays!
Christmas Star (black & white) | by Jan Fagan
The things she handed down
Years ago my aunts put together a photocopied version of my Italian grandma’s recipe notebook. I didn’t live in the same state with her growing up and my non-Italian mom only cooked the recipes that my dad liked from his childhood. So coming upon these hand-written recipes as an adult feels a bit like a…
These are a few of my favorite things
egg nog with nutmeg (and rum, let’s be serious) kids eating sugar until they’re delirious meeting under mistletoe for marital flings these are a few of my favorite things red velvet ribbons and garlands of cedar wreaths on the door as a festive guest greeter paperwhite bulbs forced to bloom out of spring these are…
Quiet Gifts in a Loud World
When the rain is falling and the wind is stirring up the remnants of leaves across my window, I can hear it. For a moment. The hoarse whisper of nature, echoing her Maker’s lips. And then it is gone; or, rather, I am gone. The car on my bumper. The items on my list. The…
Ringing in the season
ding…ding…ding…dingdingding….ding…ding…ding…dingdingding….. Three slow, three fast, three slow, three fast. The rhythmic pattern danced through my head like stepping stones for sugar plum fairies while the crisp mountain air bit at my nose, turning it red. Officially, I signed up to ring the bell in order to fulfill service hours as a member of Student Council,…
“Moonless Darkness Stands Between”
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a small motley troop of friends offers gifts that prove they’ve been listening to one another, that they care about each other’s details and dreams. If only all gifts could say what we want them to, could show our deep affection, could bless and enrich another for life.…
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