One Wintry Night
Ruth Bell Graham created this unique version of the Christmas story with a distillation of Bible stories and themes.
Richard Jesse Watson's detailed imagery lovingly illuminates the text.
Each painting in this book has a story of its own. I received a call out of the blue from Stephen Griffith, Ruth’s agent, asking if I would be interested in collaborating with her on a book project.
I accepted the challenge with the caveat that I would need to go to the Middle East to do research—an immersion into the cultures and landscapes to attempt to do justice to this ancient story.
With Ruth’s encouragement my family and I stayed in Jordan, Israel and Egypt .
Mr. and Mrs. Noah were modeled after a Kurdish doctor and his wife, along with my imagined menagerie of animals. In an attempt to approximate the proportions of the arc, as recorded in Genesis, I built a clay model.
The angel guarding the Garden of Eden was inspired when a forest fire forced us to evacuate our home in the woods. When we returned I painted the burnt remains of our forest into the angel’s garments.
How does one portray the Great Deluge? I hinted at the human suffering with the octopus holding a human skull. From the sea creatures' point of view it was business as usual.
If you look carefully you might be able to find my signature and a cat hidden on most pages. Can you find the signature near the octopuses’ eye? And the cat on the seahorse?
The confrontation: absolute power and unfathomable wealth versus humility and faith.
Mary's dress was custom made and cross-stitched for us in Bethlehem by a Palestinian Christian Women’s Coop.
Ruth and I exchanged dozens of letters trying to decode the many puzzles in book making. Lots of give and take. After she criticized one of my cat paintings as “too fancy”, I hid her “not fancy” tom cat, Chester, in almost all of the paintings for fun.
This culminated in a plethora of barn kittens in the nativity painting.
Chester was pleased and a little hard live with thereafter. See the photo Ruth sent me of Chester admiring his picture in the book.
Ruth Graham's living room where Jeb meets "the old woman" who becomes the narrator of One Wintry Night. Notice Chester’s (the cat) reflection in the Christmas ornament, soon to be swatted off the tree.
Some of the foreign and special editions of this title, thanks in part to Angus Hudson.
The visionary agent who worked tirelessly to make this book happen, Stephen Griffith.
Art Director, Don Aylard
Consulting Designer, Joy Chu
Editor, Ray Seldomridge
Exquisite calligraphy by Connie Smiley.
Speaking of cats… this is the one who wanted to dine with Daniel.
Awards and Reviews
“Watson’s paintings add plenty of drama; minutely detailed, exactly rendered flora and fauna explode from the margins inward, and extreme close-ups—Moses confronting Pharaoh, or the face of one of Daniel’s glaring lions-bristle with tensions.” Kirkus Review
“Watson’s artwork is unusually arresting, offering plenty of visual subtext to support the ambitious undertaking, which is actually a condensed retelling of the entire Bible. The double-spread Nativity scene truly commands attention, particularly the striking face of the young girl Anna, who has come to see the Christ child.” Booklist
“Ruth Bell Graham has written the perfect Christmas book and Richard Jesse Watson has illustrated this lovely story with imaginative, stunning pictures. The story is tried and true, well told and important. I love the story and I love this book.” Barbara Bush
“Richard Jesse Watson’s egg tempera paintings are at once powerful and dark, lyrical and decorative, compelling and full of light—all the while being meticulously and exquisitely crafted.” Barry Moser
“Watson, obviously a fan of the Old World Masters, shows a sharp eye for detail and realism in his egg tempera illustrations. He pulls you into the pages, inviting you to explore, to linger, to rejoice…Net results A+” Christian Net
__________________________________________________________________________________
One Wintry Night, by Ruth Bell Graham, illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson
HarperCollins Thomas Nelson 2012 ISBN-10: 1400321166 ISBN-13:978-1400321162 ISBN:0801038480 First Published by Baker Books 1995