A Fresh Look at the Nativity

Everything about Bootsie exudes originality. In considering the four children in her family, we have, at different times, referred to this energetic first-grader as "the quiet one," "the devious one," "the helpful one"-- and the list goes on.

Although Bootsie is not the only one of the foursome to demonstrate talent in the visual arts, you can always depend on her artwork for a certain--well--the best word I can think of is quirkiness. Nowhere has this ever been more apparent than in the one-of-a-kind Christmas card she drew for Pa-pa last month.

But wait--let me prepare you for Bootsie's unique spin on the traditional nativity scene in small doses. Here she is at Googie's on the day after Christmas, showing off an angel she captured in blue dry erase marker on marker board.

As you study this drawing, you are likely to notice in short order that Bootsie's angel does not appear to be addressing shepherds in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night. She does not seem to be singing "Hallelujah!" or anything else, for that matter. No, not quite.

It is unmistakably apparent from this thoughtfully-drawn piece that this angel suffers from a bout of the stomach flu. Euphemism aside, this angel is throwing up right there in the highest or wherever she happens to be at the time.

What we have here is a biographical influence at work. Bootsie herself had come down with the bug just four nights earlier, and two nights later her brother Pooh had done the same. Knowing this helps us understand why the artist chose to place this angel in this particular predicament.

Interestingly, Bootsie's manger scene, a graphite work on the cover of Pa-pa's Christmas card, is not so conveniently explained. Here is that masterful piece, followed by a few appropriate words of review.

At first glance, the scene is familiar and predictable. The tableau is complete with stable, star, Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus. The Baby lies smiling on a manger bed; Joseph sports a staff and a beard; a sheep looks on.

And then you see them--the animals on the periphery of the drawing. Standing by Mary in complete wonderment and awe is--a chicken? And if that is not enough, peering in from the other side (outside the stable, fortunately) is none other than a dinosaur.

If you ask me, Bootsie's work of art is at once simple and profound. It juxtaposes anachronistic concepts of time. It surprises and delights.

With a creativity that even the artist herself can't realize, the drawing incorporates the unusual into the familiar in a way that evokes emotion and thought. It may exhibit a minimalist technique, but I look at it and see nothing but joy.

P.S.: It came to my attention some time after this writing that the questionable animal visiting the manger is not, after all, a dinosaur. It is a cow. My bad, and my apologies to the artist.--Googie