'no room at the inn' 
Millicent Wagstaff
st john's catholic primary school, dapto
year 5

My artwork, “No Room at the Inn” is drawn from Luke’s scripture (2:7) and depicts the night of the birth of Jesus, not in a stable like the one we have come to associate with Jesus’ birth, but in the lower floor of a humble peasant’s home. According to archaeologists, people in first century Palestine would keep their animals in an area below the main living quarters of the house so I deliberately chose to draw Mary and Joseph in this more authentic and accurate scene.

As the viewer encounters my artwork, I want their eyes to travel down from the star, to the buildings, to all the animals and come finally to rest on Mary and Joseph and the newly born Jesus. In order to do that I used bright colours that acted like a funnel to naturally draw the eyes downwards. The viewer’s gaze then passes through the buildings and deliberately below them, to where the animals look adoringly at baby Jesus. Even the animals realise that Jesus' birth is a gift of hope, joy, and peace.

I feel that my artwork conveys a sense of peace, like everything has been resolved and order has been restored with the birth of Jesus.

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