Illustrating Christmas

Christmas really begins for me with a visit to the wonderful Chris Beetles Gallery just off Piccadilly. This little gem has excellent exhibitions throughout the year but its Christmas exhibition The Illustrators is my favourite. Every year a new selection of pictures from Illustrators old and new is on display and for sale and, I have to admit, I have been tempted more than once! I tend to buy children's illustration but there is a huge range of work including, this year, some wonderful Matt Brexit cartoons! I could not resist an illustration of a favourite poem of mine Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost, featured in my October blog Autumn in America. The picture is entitled: He will not see me stopping here, To watch his woods fill up with snow and it's a lovely Christmassy scene.

The Illustrator, Michael Foreman is one of our foremost children's illustrators and many famous tales have been given new life by his imagination. The exhibition is on until 5th January so do go and see it if you are in London - it's only a small gallery so an hour or less is all you need.

Decorating the house this weekend, I brought out my Christmas books and found amongst them a 1983 edition of A Christmas Carol illustrated by Michael Foreman! Though 35 years old these illustrations are as fresh as if they were drawn yesterday and bring this timeless classic Dickens tale to life again.

And for me, Christmas isn't Christmas without re-reading the delightful stories I have illustrated by Quentin Blake: The Twelve Days of Christmas by John Julius Norwich; Father Christmas's Last Present by Marie-Aude Murail and Elvire Murail and On Angel Wings by Michael Morpurgo. Lovely little books to give as gifts or to buy for yourself!

Christmas is illustrated in a different way at the Royal Albert Hall which is one of my favourite places to visit. Last weekend we took our 3 year old grand-daughter to see My Christmas Orchestral Adventure - a wonderful musical adventure for young children, featuring well known classical music such as: Tchaikovsky music from The Nutcracker, Engelbert Humperdink music from Hansel and Gretel , John Williams music from Home Alone and more festive favourites. Albert's Orchestra zipped around the world to track down Father Christmas who had lost his map! A magical Christmas treat for us all with singing, dancing and wonderful lighting effects.

Of course, Christmas is illustrated across the country with amazing lights and I have enjoyed visiting London to see the lights since I was a small child. This year we walked down the length of Regent Street with its beautiful angels but I wish I had seen Carnaby Street featuring Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody!

On a more serious note though, I was saddened to see even more young people on the streets than in previous years. We all know how tough life is for many people and I feel particularly for the young. If you would like to help a young person over Christmas one of the best charities to donate to is Centrepoint (Centrepoint.org.uk). Any donation is welcome and for £12 a month you can sponsor a room for a young homeless person.

Merry Christmas to one and all and thank you for reading my blog!