Cathy receives a clean sock for Christmas.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Yes Virgina, there is a Santa Claus
"Is There a Santa Claus?" was the headline that appeared over an editorial in the September 21, 1897 edition of The New York Sun.Dear Editor: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says 'If you see it in The Sun it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth: is there a Santa Claus?
"Virginia O'Hanlon.
"115 West Ninety-fifth street."
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says 'If you see it in The Sun it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth: is there a Santa Claus?
"Virginia O'Hanlon.
"115 West Ninety-fifth street."
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Bea at the Graduation Party
This drawing was based on a reference photo I took at my niece's graduation party. It was amazingly hot that day. I thought Bea had a wonderful candid expression!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Black Hawk Creek - Hudson, Iowa
I drew this 27 years ago while in commercial art school at Hawkeye Institute of Technology in Waterloo, IA.Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Michelangelo's David
Every block of stone has a statue inside it
and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.
—Michelangelo
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Alan Greenspan II
I guess I should warn you,
if I turn out to be particularly clear,
you've probably misunderstood
what I've said.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Grover Cleveland
“Though the people
support the government,
the government should
not support the people”
—Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was president of the U.S.
during the 1893 depression.
support the government,
the government should
not support the people”
—Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was president of the U.S.
during the 1893 depression.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Robert E. Lee
It is well that war is so terrible -
otherwise we would grow too fond of it.
Robert E. Lee
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Flower of Youth
DON'T SMOKE OR THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU
This character reminds me of some of the posters that my school had hanging in the hallways (many years ago) in order to discourage students from taking up the nasty habit of smoking. I am not sure the message scared everyone away from smoking, but it certainly had an impact on me... I drew this from a recurring nightmare.