Artist captures Christmas spirit
‘North Pole Express’ depicts magic of Santa
“Christmas is for children and believing that all things are possible.” BRADLEY PARRISH
Gleefully, Santa Claus holds the reins of the sleigh, presents in tow — a Raggedy Ann doll, a teddy bear, and even a puppy. A lantern lights the way, warming Santa’s face, his hair blowing in the air. With a sprinkle of stars, the illusion of children asleep below dreaming of Santa’s gifts are present.
The entrancing movement through the night’s sky of Bradley Parrish’s “North Pole Express” caught the attention of the panel selecting art for the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Christmas Day. We loved the magic present in Parrish’s painting, capturing the spirit and mystery of Christmas.
It’s the ninth year the Journal Sentinel has shared work by a Wisconsin artist in the place typically reserved for the top news of the day. More than 80 works were submitted for review. The final winner was selected by editor George Stanley, arts editor Jim Higgins and myself.
The idea for the painting came to Parrish after his first son, Andrew, was born. Parrish wanted to paint a scene that his son would like to see, and this image of Santa riding in his sleigh came to mind. An aunt had given Andrew a Raggedy Andy doll, so that was included among the toys in the sleigh. On Santa’s list of very good boys and girls, Andrew’s name isn’t checked off yet. He wanted it to serve as a reminder to be good. The puppy and pocket watch were just for fun, Parrish said.
“I paint what I paint to inspire people and as in this piece to inspire our children and the children in all of us at Christmas,” he said.
Parrish has painted many images of Christmas (originals and prints can be ordered from his website, Parrish Fine Art ). He said he painted the scene “for those kids that feel like they don’t have anything to believe in.”
A favorite subject
Parrish sold his first painting (of a neighbor’s dog) at age 6. Now 58, Parrish has produced thousands of works of art.
Parrish’s mother raised him and a sister on a secretary’s wages; he said money was always scarce. The family lived in a trailer park on the southwest side of Milwaukee. For a short time, he had a paper route to earn some extra money.
At 14, he started taking art classes at Alverno College to earn credits toward a degree. Once in high school in Greenfield, Parrish no long had the drive to go to college — he was already earning money selling his art and winning shows.
His paintings have been shown across the country and internationally. “Another Day of Freedom“hangs at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York as part of the monument’s collection. A print of a pastel work, “The Creation of Adam,” that Parrish completed as a 15-year-old is part of the Vatican Museum’s permanent collection. For many years he also worked as an architectural and interior designer for restaurants and commercial spaces.
While his paintings vary in subject matter, he likes depicting the magic of Christmas.
“Throughout my life, Christmas has always been a special time because I never had a really nice Christmas,” he said. He said presents unwrapped Christmas Day would often need to be returned on Dec. 26.
“Christmas is for children and believing that all things are possible,” Parrish said.
To him, the season was always filled with enchantment. He remembers being young and seeing a light go across the sky. “Mom would say, ‘that’s got to be Santa,’ ” Parrish said.
Parrish submitted “North Pole Express” to the Journal Sentinel after seeing a post from another local artist on Facebook.
“I guess you’re never famous until your hometown newspaper does a story about you,” he said. “To me, this is the top of the icing on the cake. It feels good.” Parrish will celebrate the holiday with his three children in Germantown.