Christmas All Over the World

The Bernese Mountain dog, or Berner as he is better known, is one of my favorite subjects although I have never owned one. My friend Nancy Jean has a couple. They are huge, sloppy, happy guys who always seem to be smiling.

I recently did this pastel painting, and adapted it to a Christmas card. Apparently the charm of the Berner is not lost on the world. The original painting was sold to someone in England. Since then I have shipped these cards to Washington state, Belgium, Australia, and Idaho, respectively.

Most interesting was the Washington lady who turned out to be a theatre buff, like me. She was appearing in a stage performance of "Meet Me in St. Louis". The cards were a gift for the lead singer who, besides singing the lyrics on the card, "Faithful friends who are dear to us...", also owns a Berner!

It's pretty neat how the Internet brings an influx of these types of stories, and that someone is giving/getting the perfect gift this year. I love Christmas for the spirit of generosity that prevails, all over the world.