Buy More Art: Christmas Hymns from Jason Harrod, Christmas gifts from Laurel Rudd, Christmas cards from The Ambrosium

Introducing Buy More Art, a subtly-titled weekly collection of art and art events I'm recommending to the world. A close runner up name for the new series:  Love your Artist Neighbor, Buy More Art! (borrowing language from Lauren Winner's advice for art patrons in this book)

After writing 101 Monday Mixtape posts, I'm throwing a farewell party and welcoming in the new guy. You'll notice the mixtape lives on in spirit.  We're just hanging up the jersey on the metaphor.

In case you're wondering, a couple of things I consider when I'm putting together my collection:

• Is this an emerging artist who could use a shout-out?
• Is this an emerging artist I've met, friend of a friend, reminds me of someone I know?
• Do I enjoy the painting/print/tunes/exhibit/piece/pages so much I want to own it for myself?
• Does this artist have a risk-taking story I'm cheering?
• Does this work feature the banjo? Move it straight to the top of the list.

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This first week of Advent, I'm sharing a mini-collection of artful resources for you to enjoy in this beautiful waiting time.  I'll keep sharing Buy More Art posts through December, but you'll forgive me for limiting my editorial comments, won't you?  Trying to quiet myself just a little bit.

Enjoy!

-- 1 --

Christmas Hymns from Jason Harrod

If you've visited with me here often enough, you know by now Jason's one of my favorites.  He recorded this intimate little Christmas album a few years ago but they're worth mentioning again -- just the right balance of quiet longing and joyful hopefulness.

p.s.,  It's a little known fact that Jason slept in our guest room back in New York one of the weekends he recorded this album.

-- 2 --
ellemar designs Christmas ornaments and gifts

                                                                Source: etsy via Tamara on Pinterest

My dear friend Laurel Rudd's added some fun Christmas-y items to her Etsy shop, ellemar designs.  Not only that, her hand-painted ceramics make perfect gifts for your Christmas shopping!  

-- 3 -- 

Christmas cards from The Ambrosium

                             Source: etsy.com via Tamara on Pinterest

I realize I'm now running the risk of talking your ear off about The Ambrosium.  In last week's Buy More Art collection I shared the Advent calendar and mentioned the lovely Christmas cards in the shop.  This week I wanted to show you a picture to prove their loveliness.

While you're there, browse The Ambrosium's entire collection for your people you're loving on this Christmas.

 -- add your art --

Now it's your turn!  What art are you making, selling, buying?  Tell us about it in the  comments below.  If you've written your own post, share the link.

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"The God who impoverished himself is also the God of abundance, and somehow, perhaps at times nonsensically, Christians are called to live out of an ethic not of scarcity but of abundance—an abundance that extends both to the homeless neighbor and to the artist neighbor. . . "  -- Lauren Winner, from her chapter THE ART PATRON: Someone Who Can't Draw a Straight Line Tries to Defend her Art-Buying Habit  in For the Beauty of the Church