The Twelve Days Collection

The carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a traditional song that celebrates twelve days of joyful gift-giving, filled with rich symbolism.

My artwork draws on themes of festivity, capturing the spirit of grand Christmas celebrations from the past.

I began my journey in 2013 with my inaugural design: “True Love”. Each year since, I have created a new piece to add to the collection.

This year is the culmination of twelve years of my personal celebration. I’ve loved revisiting each gift annually, carrying the series
to the next verse with every new design.

May your holidays be full of music and light.

True Love

I embarked on my journey in 2013 with my debut artwork, “True Love,” a piece inspired by the opening line of the classic Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The song, rich in symbolism, can be interpreted as a romantic expression, where the “true love” offers increasingly elaborate and exotic gifts. Notably, during the Renaissance, partridges and pears were seen as symbols of fertility.

Beloved

On the second day, the gift is a pair of turtle doves, often symbolizing love and devotion, representing harmonious relationships.

Trinity

On the third day, the gift of three French hens is celebrated. Rich in symbolism, these birds are often seen as representing faith, hope, and charity. They also evoke a sense of luxury, as French hens were once considered a delicacy, reflecting the grandeur of Christmas celebrations in earlier times.

Quartet

On the fourth day, the gift is “Four Calling Birds,” which may symbolize communication and the value of social connections. The musical title is inspired by this concept.

Harmony

Interestingly, the “five gold rings” in the song actually referred to the ring-necked pheasant, meaning the first seven gifts are all bird-related. However, I didn’t discover this until years later, so in my 2017 interpretation, the rings symbolize continuity and harmony.

Genesis

On the sixth day, the gift of six geese represents fertility and sustenance. The image of the eggs evoked a sense of new beginnings for me, inspiring the title “Genesis” for this piece. Additionally, geese are often viewed as intermediaries between earth and sky, symbolizing the connection between humans and heaven.

Grace

On the seventh day, the gift of swans signifies a gesture of great generosity. Swans were often associated with grace, beauty, and nobility, inspiring the title for this piece. The design was completed on June 19, 2019, later that day I learned of Gloria Vanderbilt’s passing. I was struck by how the swans mirrored her iconic swan logo, and I now always think of her creative spirit when I see this piece.

Blessings

On the eighth day, the gift of eight maids symbolizes productivity and nourishment. Reflecting on this, the word “blessings” came to mind—capturing more than just happiness and wealth, but embodying a sense of peace, contentment, purpose, wholeness, and security.

Joy

On the ninth day, the gift is nine ladies dancing, symbolizing celebration and the lively spirit of the season, echoing the grandeur of Christmas festivities from times past.

Mirth

The later gifts represent grand entertainment, suggesting the peak of festive celebration. On the tenth day, the gift likely refers to noble or aristocratic men performing traditional dances, symbolizing vigor and high society. You may notice the influence of M.C. Escher in this design.

Faith

On the eleventh day, the gift of pipers represents the pinnacle of celebration, their music embodying the spirit of the season. As I approached the end of the series, I couldn’t resist creating one final mandala-inspired design. You may have to look closely for those eleven pipes.

Crescendo

The final gift of twelve drummers symbolizes the energy and culmination of the celebration—a grand finale to the twelve days! You might notice a touch of M.C. Escher’s influence in this design.

True Love 2013, Partridge in a Pear Tree
Beloved 2014, Two Turtle Doves
Trinity 2015, Three French Hens
Quartet 2016, Four Calling Birds
Harmony 2017, Five Gold Rings
Genesis 2018, Six Geese a Layin’
Grace 2019, Seven Swans a Swimmin’
Blessings 2020, Eight Maids a Milkin’
Joy 2021, Nine Ladies Dancing
Mirth 2022, Ten Lords a Leaping
Faith 2023, Eleven Pipers Piping
Crescendo, 2024, Twelve Drummers Drumming

Now is the perfect time to join the festivities!

If you are interested in the COMPLETE COLLECTION of limited edition ornaments ($150 with FREE shipping) OR Special Edition Boxed Greeting Cards ($30 with FREE shipping), please contact me.

CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS!

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