I’ll be Celebrating Christmas with this new book in hand. It’s lovely.
The writer and artist team of daughter and father, Amy Boucher Pye and Leo Bucher, have produced a beautiful meditative reflection on the Christmas season.
Twenty-five readings provide fresh looks at the Christmas or Advent season.
Each day includes a short reflection from Amy’s life or that of a historic figure, along with a spiritual point, and a prayer.
I learned a few things about Christmas traditions I didn’t know
Joy, art, AND reflections?
I interviewed the authors recently about the book, and here are their thoughts.
Which came first, the paintings or the words?
In 2018, Amy used her father’s paintings for her website series on the 12 Days of Christmas. (In this series, the 12 days begins on Christmas Eve–considering looking it up yourself for this year).
(photo by Daniel Mick)
Her editor read through the series and suggested a book on the same idea using Leo Boucher’s paintings and Amy’s reflections.
Amy and Leo loved the idea.
“My dad is super easy to work with, ” Amy said. “Some of the paintings were already finished. Others were those he created many versions of until I and the publisher were happy.”
The task became easier once Amy had the four themes in place (one theme for each week). They are:
- Christmas symbols
- Joys and sorrows of Christmas
- “He is Jesus!
- The journey to Bethlehem.
From there, Amy explained, “I slotted in the existing paintings my dad had already created for the Advent and Christmas seasons.”
Since Amy lives in England and her father lives in Minnesota, they “talked, zoomed, and emailed about how to fill out the missing gaps.”
(You can watch Amy’s interview with Leo about the project here.).
What does Celebrating Christmas mean–with reflections as well as art?
Leo’s art is sprinkled through the book. Amy provides the reflections.
I never knew the idea of a nativity scene came from St. Francis of Assisi in 1223.
Longing that those in the Italian village of Greccio would experience the wonder of the story of Jesus’ birth, he created a cave scene with hay, an ox, and a donkey. Welcoming the villagers to gaze on the scene, he told the story of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem without anywhere to stay.”
Celebrating Christmas, p. 35
Amy reflected on the value of why a creche:
“The imperfect things we create, such as nativity sets, can give us insights into the real. That is, as we gaze on them, perhaps in an attitude of praying to God, we can understand more deeply the mystery of the God who came to earth as a baby.”
That reflection, and other thoughts, appeared on Day 6, and ended with a short prayer asking readers to focus on Jesus–“that we might never lose our sense of wonder, awe, and gratitude.”
The 1-2 page-long readings are clear and simple enough to be read as a family, perhaps starting December 1 and read daily until Christmas.
Amy also suggested readers “pour a favorite beverage on Boxing Day (December 26) when things are feeling more relaxed and read a couple days’ entries under the glow of the Christmas lights.”
However you read, Celebrating Christmas with this book is a pleasure.
Who is Amy Boucher Pye?
Amy Boucher Pye is an American writer, spiritual director, and retreat leader who lives in England with her British husband and children. A frequent contributor to Our Daily Bread, she’s the author of four books and a great lover of Christmas and Advent.
Indeed, she has an entire shelf of books about Christmas–where she spent a lot of time researching to write this lovely book. “I’m often thinking about Christmas at odd times of the year.” The idea to write Celebrating Christmas, for example, came in April.
About Leo Boucher
Leo Boucher painted his first oil painting when he was seven years old. “It was of a large tree in my grandparents’ yard. I have been drawing and painting off and on all my long life.”
He took a correspondence course in basic drawing, watercolors, and perspective when he was in high school. In addition, Leo took art classes in college.
Today he paints in a tidy art studio he built for himself behind the family home.
For Celebrating Christmas, Amy explained, “art is subjective and my dad has loads of styles that he likes to create with. so my publisher and I went for a style that she called “smudgy, soft, and evocative.”
When Amy asked Leo how he felt about having to repaint his paintings for the book, noting how easy it is for her to edit her writing, he smiled. “It’s called work. Just a little bit of work.”
But it looked like a lot more joy to me.
Jesus is the reason for the season, let’s celebrate His coming this year!
Tweetables
Celebrating Christmas–Lovely art and splendid reflections for this holiday season. Click to Tweet
Advent beauty: Celebrating Christmas by an artist and daughter in 25 short reflections. Click to Tweet
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