“Macy’s Windows” by Kathryn Smith
“Macy’s Windows”
It was Macy’s department store on 34th Street in New York City that, in 1874, was the first to decorate their windows with a Christmas theme. Three years prior they had stayed open until midnight on Christmas Eve, creating the first ever ‘midnight madness’. The season has never been the same since.
Each year millions of people visit New York City at Thanksgiving and Christmas when the windows are unveiled to the delight of thousands of adults and children, eagerly waiting to see these magical windows filled with animation and imagination.
The theme of the windows in my painting is ‘Children and Family are the Best Gift’. The windows feature a family on Christmas Eve, trimming the tree and reading a Christmas story; ‘Toy Land’ has the elves checking the ‘Naughty & Nice’ list (there are no names on the ‘Naughty’ side, but you may find yours under ‘Nice’); Christmas Eve sees Santa on his journey; and a family sits around the dining room table where dad is about to carve the Christmas turkey.
The clock is set at 5:40 as adults and children fill the street to look at the windows and do some Christmas shopping. The pretzel and roasted chestnut wagons are parked in front and a member of the military, who has just come home, stops first at Macy’s to get a gift for someone special.
Do you see yourself in the scene? It was my intention to capture the different eras from the late 1950s through to the present day. You will see different styles of clothing on children and adults; everything from the old, knitted, woolens to the modern day attire, complete with cellphones and backpacks. I hope that this print brings you as much happiness and joy as it did me while I was painting it and that it will bring back many fond memories for years to come.
Retailers wishing to become resellers please contact kathryn@kathrynsmith.com for volume discounts
or call 905-528-4197
More Christmas Scenes by Kathryn Smith
Midnight Mass” $140
Signed and Numbered in an edition of 950 – Image size: 15″ x 20″
“Midnight Mass” reflects the quiet glory of going to church on Christmas Eve at a Cathedral for the midnight service.
Signed and Numbered in an edition of 950 – Image Size: 13″ X 19″
The crisp fallen snow on a Winter’s Christmas Eve as people attend church in the early evening is depicted in this lovely scene.
Signed and Numbered in an edition of 950 – Image Size: 13″ x 19″
Dickens of a Christmas captures the quaintness of any small town in Canada or the northern US states during the holidays with the decorated shops and horse and buggy rides.
Signed and Numbered in an edition of 350 – Image Size: 15″ x 21″
This picturesque mansion sits on the parcel of land in Burlington that was originally deeded to Laura Secord by King Edward VII. It is now open to the public. The scene captures the romance of an evening sleigh ride.
Signed and Numbered in and edition of 950 – Image Size: 14″ x 21″
During the 1950s many people travelled by train to get home for the holidays. This scene captures the hustle and bustle of travellers, laden with luggage and parcels on their way home to be with family.
Kathryn Smith has a realistic style with a painterly approach to all of her subjects. She works in oils, watercolor and acrylic, but most of her limited editions have been reproduced from her watercolor paintings of well-known buildings, steeped in history and filled with memories. She is one of the area’s best loved artists, painting scenes that reflect city life and the beauty of the Southern Ontario landscape and has been making her living as an artist for over 20 years. Kathryn knew that she wanted to be an artist at the early age of six. “The kids in my class all had to paint a picture of what we wanted to be when we grew up and I painted myself standing in front of a lake and trees with an easel in front of me. It was a very immature drawing, but that was my dream.” Living in the City of Hamilton, Ontario gave her the opportunity to attend the Dundas Valley School of Art where she studied under master artist, the late Gordon Perrier for 3-1/2 years, after which she started doing private commissions of people’s homes, children and pets. Her works hang in private and corporate collections across North America. Kathryn currently lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her two faithful studio assistants, Chaucer, a West Highland Terrier and Catya, a black, Burmese foundling. Kathryn is a member of several art societies, including Portrait Painters of America.
Contact Info:
email: kathryn@kathrynsmith.com
Studio: In Canada 905-528-4197
US residents call 707-812-7557