DECEMBER 2023 NEWSLETTER
Dear Friends
December is here and what a year it’s been! Some of us had a bumper year, others a bumpy year, and some had a real bummer!
My year has been one of spiritual and creative growth, and for that I’m very grateful. Highlights include two successful Open Studio Weekends, three exciting Watercolour Workshops, a display at the fabulous “Tea on the Stoep”, and the thrilling and often nail-biting Inktober auction. You can re-visit some of these special occasions on the EVENTS page.
Sold!
I’m tickled pink every time someone buys one of my artworks! 2023 was a bumper year for sales of my original art and print products. It’s a privilege to be using my God-given talents to bring joy to others.
Why not take a walk through memory lane to re-visit the water-colour paintings that were sold this year?
Click/tap on the thumbnails in the photo-gallery below to view the images.
Prizes Galore
I just love giving away prizes! The BIG ONE this year was the raffle for my huge Romantic Roses painting of over two dozen pink roses. Other give-aways and prizes include cards and magnets, the ever-popular PNA vouchers, chocolate, spot-prizes, arts and crafts gift vouchers and the latest prize, a lovely little “Sunflower” shoulder bag created by Tara from “Out of the Ashes”.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Brenda and Jan from Janbre Art and Framing for their generous donations of R500 and 2x R250 framing gift vouchers. Your support is much appreciated.
Another Chance to Win
Love it or hate it: people have strong feelings about pink. Let me know via WhatsApp how you feel about the colour pink, and I’ll enter your name into the December Draw for a Water-Colour Workshop Voucher, valid for any of my Workshops in 2024.
When Pink was Yellow
As far back as the 1400s, pink was the name of a murky yellow-green colour. The name pink (for obvious, yellow-coloured reasons) might have derived from an older German word, pinkeln, meaning “to urinate”.
It wasn’t until the mid-17th century that pink came to refer to the pale reddish colour we know today. It’s believed that the first Queen Elizabeth was particularly fond of carnations, which are also known as “pinks” because their ruffled edges look like they’ve been cut with pinking shears. Subsequently, carnations ("pinks") became so popular that their pale-red colour became known as pink, and the older, yellow-coloured version of the word became obsolete.
Barbie Fever
Hands up if you ever received a Barbie doll for Christmas. With the release of the 2023 Barbie movie, Barbie fever has given rise to a pink explosion everywhere one goes. Long may it last! I’m stocking up on glorious pink items for my wardrobe before the dreaded beiges and energy-draining-greys are once more foisted on us by the controlling fashion industry, and nary a vibrant pink garment can be found.
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to the December babies Gary, Shereen, Erica R, Sarah, Carol E, Catherine, Celesté, Ellen, Mienie and Marlene B. May you be in the pink in your new birthday year, blessed with excellent health and youthful exuberance. This month’s dedication song, "Living Doll", is performed by Sir Cliff Richard & The Shadows at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre in 1984. Some of you might remember this song, first released by Cliff in May 1959. If you’re too young to remember it, I hope you enjoy this (coincidental and unintended) homage to the first Barbie doll which was released in March the same year (1959).
Pink For Girls, Blue for Boys
Before the nappy pin, stretchy elastic, Velcro and fantastic plastic, all the little boys and girls were dressed in white dresses and cloth nappies because it was practical, and white was easy to bleach to get all those nasty stains out of the clothes.
In the early 1900s when pastel colours became fashionable for babies, large-scale American department stores claimed that the generally accepted rule is “pink for the boys” because pink is a stronger and more decided colour, whereas blue, which is delicate and dainty, “is prettier for the girl”.
An about-turn happened in the 1940s when boys and girls were dressed like miniature men and women. The powerful marketing departments of the leading retail stores confidently declared “pink for ... CLICK/TAP HERE TO CONTINUE READING
Christmas Joy
For Christians the world over, Christmas Day is a joyous occasion when we remember and celebrate God’s Gift of Love to the world. The story is beautifully told in Boney M’s "Mary’s Boy Child". Altogether now! Enjoy singing along.
I wish you and yours a blessed Christmas, and may 2024 abound with fresh beginnings, exciting adventures and joie de vivre!
Please feel free to share my website link with your friends and family, and on your social media.
Maria Kaye xx
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