Wise Men Still Seek Him

I was guest in a home that I had never visited before. Throughout the evening my attention kept being drawn to a silver tea set on an antique sideboard. I rearranged the objects... a nativity scene! I was allowed to borrow the silverware. For the next 3 months the little group sat in my studio. The rattan matting got introduced to give hints of a rough, rustic stable. The sugar bowl (Joseph - with hands on hips) got given a spoon to act as a staff. I used a very small light to shine directly down on the tea strainer (manger). Eventually the light became a star. As I painted the reflections of the studio in the milk jug (Mary), I suddenly realised that with a little imagination I could actually see Mary - the manger - why not the shepherds too? From then on Joseph, a donkey, the wise men on camels, a palm tree, the inn, all followed very naturally. These semi-hidden features don't leap out at you. Rather, they await talking point discovery. by Graham Braddock