After a hit show in 2019, Tom Browning is returning to Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona, with another Christmas-themed show titled Life With Santa, which opens November 19 and continues through Christmas. 
Bosom Buddies, oil, 30 x 20"
Browning, who first started painting Santa Claus in 1980, is considered one of the greatest painters of Santa in the country. His early works were so successful, he spun it off into its own series, Santa’s Time Off, from which individual pieces were widely reproduced and exhibited. 
Wild Ride, oil, 24 x 20"
The 2019 show featured many older works from Browning’s own collection, but 2020 will feature brand new works Santas. “Although a few of the paintings are from our personal archives, most of the pieces are new and will all be seen for the first time at Legacy,” he says. “Most of the paintings depict Santa in a more traditional role, working and delivering toys. However there are also those that show him relaxing and having fun, giving everyone a glimpse into his well-rounded life, thus the show title Life With Santa.”
Beach Greetings, oil, 24 x 18”
Packed With Joy, oil, 18 x 24”
Among the highlights are some of the Western-themed paintings, including the bucking bronco piece Wild Ride, and Bosom Buddies, showing a tender moment between Ol’ Saint Nick and his horse. “Bosom Buddies is one of my personal favorites. I’ve wanted to do this scene for years so I found this year’s show as the nudge that I needed to paint it and have it ready for the opening,” the artist says. “It depicts the soft and gentle side of Santa, while his more adventurous and fun loving side is better captured in Wild Ride.”
Browning adds: “If you find it odd that I talk about Santa as if I know him intimately as a real person, just come to see the actual paintings and you might go away with a new-found belief of your own.”
A reception, with a real Santa, will be held December 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. —
Upcoming Show
Up to 15 works
Nov. 19-Dec. 25, 2020
Legacy Gallery
7178 Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251,
(480) 945-1113
www.legacygallery.com
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