Happy New Year!

I can't believe it's the New Year already. 2009 seems like something out of science fiction, but I've felt that way since the beginning of the new millennium. What intrigued me was how it is portrayed in art.

For some reason, they associate babies with the new year, and old men, or grim reapers for the old. I thought I'd look into some of the older art and see how the art has changed from the past. Some of it is kind of cool, some of them art really beautiful. I think we have lost some of the pride that comes with illustration in the modern times. I think we use too much of the computer world in our art -- at least in most of the publishing world...but perhaps that's a soap box for another day.



I really like these older images. They have character and richness. Some would say, perhaps, that they are cluttered and busy. I guess there are two points of view.



Here is one that shows the old man and little baby fighting over the ending and beginning of the year...sorry it's fuzzy. (I have a hard time switching gif pictures into jpg.) I just think the imagery is funny.



Here's the vintage view of the baby turning back the clock...I guess that's what he's supposed to be doing. Then we have the modern baby...



I like this one that shows kind of the two of them together, in a combination of kind of vintage and modern.



I have mixed feelings when it comes to New Year. Sometimes I'm really excited to start over and have things be new...I guess that's where the little baby aspect comes in. But there are other times when I'm sad to see the old year end, and that's probably the old man or grim reaper image.

How do you view the New Year? Whatever way you see it, however you celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful New Year. May this one be even better than the year before, may you find peace and happiness, or the ability to deal with your trials.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Return to the Neighborhood.