“Your Turtle Dovin”

 

From the New Testament to Buddy Holly, Turtle Doves have impacted our culture across 2000 years. No doubt we will be, as Buddy Holly says in, “That’ll be the day”, giving, “all your loving and your turtle dovin” for another 2000 years to come. Well maybe not because the poor old turtle dove is now on the endangered list.

Probably the first mention of turtle doves is a context of love is in the new testament (Luke2.24). A pair are sacrificed for the new-born baby jesus. Note a pair! Turtle Doves form strong pair bonds. This and the biblical reference has resulted in them being emblems of love.

Often the first introduction to turtle doves is a result of hearing or singing the famous christmas song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas. Turtle Doves feature as the second gift.

I have been meaning to expand my christmas range of cards, but not get two christmasy in the process! It wasn’t really on my radar to do any more than one creature with it environment within it at a time. but two seemed like a good idea as i could link the imagery within them.
I felt I had to be a bit careful with the reds and greens on this one, as i didn’t want to get to Father Christmas! Obviously a snowy landscape is not the turtle doves natural environment! As soon as there is whiff of chilly weather they up sticks ad fly south! In fact they head off to sunnier climates in September. But it had to be snow if it was christmas!

I used my old favourite, Rose Madder Genuine with alizarin crimson to pick out the flowers in the wings. The rest I kept that lovely bluish grey mixing Burnt Sienna with Cerulean blue. When you mix these two in the dish they are a perfect match!

This design came relatively easily. The bird designs tend to come with less of a fight than the other creatures! Just keep it simple!(like my owls) You can see the first thumbnail I did in my sketch book (above) and the final result Below.

Check out all the christmas cards and the whole range of cards at The DM Collection