HollyKing
12-09-2007, 01:22 PM
Read carefully....
I'm the designated source for Christmas wallpaper in my office. I have lots of (secular) Christmasy stuff, a few for Yule, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and even Diwali - but after ten years doing this, I haven't found a religious Christmas wallpaper that I've liked. I've passed on the "lesser" ones, of cousrse, so as not to disappoint anyone - but I consistently end up disappointing ME.
The problem is, my standards are extremely exacting. I don't do cartoon characters because I feel that it - I don't know what the word should be - belittles? - demeans? - minimizes? - an event that is holy to a lot of people. I don't do Precious Moments (or anything remotely similar) for much the same reason. There was only one child involved in this story, but Precious Moments and its spinoffs would make everyone a child.
Then you have what I call the Old Masters school of religious iconography. (Forgive me in advance for the way I'm about to say this? - I can't think of a better way to express it.) You have everyone looking very stiff, very pious, with a halo the size of a soup tureen over every head, and some of the most uncomfortable expressions I've ever seen - it looks like they're all constipated. (Sorry!)
So what I'm looking for is a wallpaper (or Christmas card scan) with people who look like people; who are smiling (the birth of a child is a HAPPY event, right?); that includes at least one of each of these traditional participants in the story:
* shepherds
* wise men (or Magi, if you prefer)
* animals (this IS a stable, after all!)
* angels
And of course, Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh should ALL be there.
No photographs, period, no matter how well they may represent the event. All my other wallpapers are some form of illustration, and I won't set this one apart from the rest.
Oh, and I know that this isn't necessarily the way it really happened; there are many who believe that the Magi didn't arrive the night of Jesus' birth, but considerably after that night. That's okay, but I'm going for a traditional Nativity scene, not historical/Biblical accuracy, and that includes EVERYONE I have listed here.
I hope someone can help; I'm at my wits' end.
Thanks in advance.
I'm the designated source for Christmas wallpaper in my office. I have lots of (secular) Christmasy stuff, a few for Yule, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and even Diwali - but after ten years doing this, I haven't found a religious Christmas wallpaper that I've liked. I've passed on the "lesser" ones, of cousrse, so as not to disappoint anyone - but I consistently end up disappointing ME.
The problem is, my standards are extremely exacting. I don't do cartoon characters because I feel that it - I don't know what the word should be - belittles? - demeans? - minimizes? - an event that is holy to a lot of people. I don't do Precious Moments (or anything remotely similar) for much the same reason. There was only one child involved in this story, but Precious Moments and its spinoffs would make everyone a child.
Then you have what I call the Old Masters school of religious iconography. (Forgive me in advance for the way I'm about to say this? - I can't think of a better way to express it.) You have everyone looking very stiff, very pious, with a halo the size of a soup tureen over every head, and some of the most uncomfortable expressions I've ever seen - it looks like they're all constipated. (Sorry!)
So what I'm looking for is a wallpaper (or Christmas card scan) with people who look like people; who are smiling (the birth of a child is a HAPPY event, right?); that includes at least one of each of these traditional participants in the story:
* shepherds
* wise men (or Magi, if you prefer)
* animals (this IS a stable, after all!)
* angels
And of course, Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh should ALL be there.
No photographs, period, no matter how well they may represent the event. All my other wallpapers are some form of illustration, and I won't set this one apart from the rest.
Oh, and I know that this isn't necessarily the way it really happened; there are many who believe that the Magi didn't arrive the night of Jesus' birth, but considerably after that night. That's okay, but I'm going for a traditional Nativity scene, not historical/Biblical accuracy, and that includes EVERYONE I have listed here.
I hope someone can help; I'm at my wits' end.
Thanks in advance.