Happy New Year!

Happy 2019! It is going to be a great year for art! Are you making any resolutions? I have a list of life goals (it’s a Bucket List, but don’t you hate that term?!) that I am just going to continue to work on. And of course, I’m excited to discover more beautiful, fun, and interesting art, so I hope artists everywhere are resolving to keep creating!

We simply cannot talk New Year’s and art without mentioning J.C. Leyendecker, the father of many babies- New Year’s babies, that is. He was clearly inspired by that chubby, clothing-optional, little baby that represents the birth of each new year because he illustrated him (her?) over and over! Here are just a few of his drawings that showed up on The Saturday Evening Post covers:

The baby is so cute and fun and full of hope that it’s hard not to love him. By the end of the year, the curly-haired cutie has aged into Father Time, who is always portrayed so sadly!
Beautiful, but sad, I think.
Don’t even get me started on Father Time Overcome by Love, Hope, and Beauty by Simon Vouet. I’m all for love, hope, and beauty, but not when they’re ganging up on a dear, old gentleman. 
There’s girl power, and there’s bullying.

What I’d like to see is Father Time portrayed in celebration of all he’s seen and experienced, not as sad and weak and mopey! (This is unrelated, but did I mention I turn 40 this year?) Here’s to the adventures the New Year’s baby promises, and the full life Father Time had! Cheers!

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