Puppy Under the Christmas Tree

Pine, gold, and a small breathing puppy. The dog is curled asleep on a red blanket beneath the lower branches of the tree — eyes shut, paws tucked, the cream coat washing into the warm wood floor at the bottom of the frame. Above, baubles in red, gold, and brass-yellow hang at different depths, each catching its own small star of highlight.

A traditional Christmas-card palette done flat and graphic rather than painterly. The colorist's job is mostly the ornaments, which carry every saturated note in the design while the puppy stays soft and almost monochrome. A quiet, low-energy piece — closer to a lullaby than a celebration.