Up and Running Again

I find it quite hard to start blogging again after such a long absence.  It's not that I haven't painted; it is where do I begin?  

So, I decided to start with something that I have finished recently and had a lot of fun painting.  The inspiration is from a Christmas card that I have saved for years because I knew that I wanted to paint it someday.  I needed a rectangle canvas, but all I had was this 12 x 24.  That is pretty daunting, but gave me lots of room to do all of this with a palette knife.  It has plenty of scritches and scratches, including in the background, but I was not compelled to 'clean it up' like I usually do. 

 I do wonder where these gentlemen will end up.  Will this piece sell?  Will it be a Christmas present for a dear friend who just added some turquoise to her living room?  Will it be a gift to one of my friends in my Bunco group? I just hope it encourages the viewer to remember to be wise and seek the one who is our one and only Savior.