The making of Mayfield’s Christmas card
In October, Allison Zettlemoyer ’18, an advanced student in the Mayfield Visual Arts Conservatory, received an important real-world commission. Could she harness her sketching and painting talents to design the 2016 Mayfield Christmas Card?
Allison, whose passion for drawing and painting began as a child, said she was honored to take the assignment and met with Director of Development Angela Howell ’76 to go over deadlines and logistics. Ms. Howell also gave Allison a copy of the card's greeting, a Christmas prayer found in the files of our beloved Sr. Barbara Mullen, SHCJ, who passed away last June.
“The first thing I did was read the prayer over and over for inspiration,” Allison said. “It felt so full of light and joy that I knew I wanted the card to convey a sense of tenderness and light.”
Allison also knew that she could bring to life two of her favorite drawing subjects—
women and babies. She would sketch and paint the Blessed Mother Mary holding her Holy Child, Jesus.
women and babies. She would sketch and paint the Blessed Mother Mary holding her Holy Child, Jesus.
“I love drawing people and faces, especially babies and women,” Allison said. “I have been studying facial structures and have been practicing creating a youthful look—it’s really hard. You have to convey softness and innocence and make your paint selections carefully.”
She pored over art books and Christmas cards and decided that Sr. Barbara’s prayer called for something different, a “fresh take,” Allison said. She settled on hues of blue in a stained-glass window style because she said it “was both lively and innocent” at the same time.
Because she knew that Sr. Barbara liked “to keep it real,” she gave Mary a contemporary symbol of Christmas, a poinsettia in her hair.
“You don’t normally see this in a picture of Mary, but I felt it gave her a warm, relevant feel,” Allison said.
Under the guidance of Visual Arts instructor Theresia Kleeman, Allison used a large poster-sized canvas for her work, enabling her to more easily draw the intricate details of the faces. A careful look at those faces reveals similarities between Mother and Child.
Ms. Howell said the way Allison reflected on Sr. Barbara’s message and tenderly portrayed Mary holding Jesus celebrates the joyful meaning of Christmas.
“I was deeply touched by her portrayal of this gentle moment, and her depiction in the context of a stained glass image was very original,” Ms. Howell said. “We are so taken with the artwork that we have invited Allison to place her piece on permanent display at our school after it is exhibited at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in the Robert Graham Memorial Student Art Exhibit. She is a true ‘Holy Child artist’.”
Once Allison started sketching, she worked non-stop on the project for several weeks, feeling a bit of pressure to deliver on her first real commission as an artist.
“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” she said. “But at the heart of it all, I really wanted to spend my time and energy doing something to illustrate Sr. Barbara’s prayer.”
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Mark Mitchell12/16/2016 @ 1:19 AMA beautiful rendition of the Blessed Mother, an intimate bond with her holy child. Allison's gift to the Mayfield community is very much appreciated.
Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.
