20 Inspirational Christmas Messages to Inspire Your Art

Photo caption: Snow Scene at Argenteuil by Claude Monet (1875)

At Milan Art Institute, we’re always looking for artistic inspiration. We know that having a ready supply of ideas for painting is the one true way to ensure that we never get a creative block. 

In past posts of this nature, we’ve suggested activities, like travel or urban sketching, lists of themed drawing prompts and even offered our readers places where they could find hundreds of free images to use as the basis for their paintings.

Christmas Quotes: A Source of Artistic Inspiration

And in this holiday season, we’d like to propose another source of inspiration: Christmas quotes. The reason why we like using inspirational Christmas messages as a source of artistic inspiration - aside from the fact that we love the holiday season - is that many of these quotes already evoke powerful images in our heads.

Think about it. In your average Christmas quote, you’ll find references to angels and Christmas trees and a white, magical world. From these word pictures could potentially arise some of the most hopeful and lovely paintings.

It’s with this in mind that we compiled a list of 20 inspirational Christmas messages and quotes. We chose most of them specifically because they reference some of the visual elements of the season. 

Use them on their own as a source of inspiration or combine them with your favorite images to create your next series of paintings. 

20 Inspirational Christmas Messages, Quotes and Sayings

Photo caption: Protector of the Promise Courtesy of Elli Milan

1. Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. Zuzu Bailey: It’s a Wonderful Life
2. Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago. Tom Baker
3. The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. Burton Hills
4. Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin—inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night. John J. Geddes
5. Christmas magic is silent. You don't hear it — you feel it. You know it. You believe it. Kevin Alan Milne
6. Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows. Edwin Osgood Grover

Photo caption: Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay 

7. Christmas waves a magic wand over the world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Norma Vincent Peale
8. At Christmas, all roads lead home. Marjorie Holmes
9. The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood. Richard Paul Evans
10. I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. Harlan Miller
11. May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve. Unknown
12. God goes to those who have time to hear him—and so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds. Max Lucado
13. Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. Larry Wilde

Photo caption: Illustration by Cecil Aldin (April 1870 – January 1935)

14. Probably the reason we all go so haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don’t quite know how to put our love into words. Harlan Miller
15. Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand. Dr. Seuss
16. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent... Taylor Caldwell

17. City sidewalks

Busy sidewalks

Dressed in holiday style

In the air

There's a feeling

Of Christmas...

Silver Bells song

18. It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. WT Ellis
19. Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever. Richelle E. Goodrich
20. The world has grown weary through the years, but at Christmas, it is young. Phillips Brooks

More Ideas to Inspire Your Future Paintings

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