Holiday Traditions – Tom Browning’s Santas

I’m back today with another holiday tradition in our home – three pieces of artwork that make me smile every year when I unearth them from my boxes of Christmas treasures (aka decorations).

I first became acquainted with Tom Browning’s art twenty-some years ago. Hubby and I were on vacation and ran across some of his art in a gifit shop. I was hooked.

His artwork is beautiful, lovely, and so realistic.

One of my favorite things that he paints is Santa.

Not just any Santa, but a Santa that looks like the real deal. His Santa paintings put me in mind of  Haddon Sundblom’s Santa artwork done for the Coca-Cola Company (and I love his images, too).

At the time we first discovered his artwork, we were young, newly married, without a lot of extra money to spend on things like Christmas prints, but I had to have two of them. (Looking back, they were pretty inexpensive then!)

I chose the one above, titled “Ready For Christmas” and the one below, titled “Santa’s Favorite Team.”

We framed the two prints and they have hung in our home (wherever that home has happened to be) every holiday season.

A few years later, we were again on vacation and I happened to find a few of Mr. Browning’s prints in a gift shop.

I had to have this one with Santa holding a bouquet of roses. That rosy-cheeked charmer! This print is my all-time favorite of any Santa I’ve ever seen. I always imagine he stopped on his way home from delivering toys Christmas morning to pick up the flowers for Mrs. Clause. You know I’m a sucker for romance, so why shouldn’t Santa have a little romance, too!

Browning was born in the small town of Ontario, OR, which happens to be in the neighborhood of where I grew up. He began painting professionally in 1972.  Although he started out with western and wildlife subject matter, Browning has completed many wonderful  paintings with a variety of  subjects and mediums.

For more details about Browning or to check out his artwork, go to his website.

Do you have a favorite holiday artist or piece of art you put out during the holiday season?