Miracle on 34th Street

Today's muralcle features Miracle on 34th Street (the original OBVIOUSLY and not the remake*), with little Susan (Natalie Wood) getting a hug from Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn**).

I love this movie, because growing up I was a precocious little snot who didn't really believe in Santa, just like Susan, and I like the idea that while logic and maturity have their time and place, sometimes you need to drop the act, scratch your armpits, and pretend to be a monkey.

Also, it takes me back to New York, which, for all its rough n tough attitude, is the city equivalent of that one house on the block every December that FREAKS OUT with lights and decorations. Seriously. When I worked in New York, this is what I saw every time I left my office.

For this drawing, I tried color blocking all the lights and shadows before blending anything, which I think was a little more effective on Santa's face than Susan's. And I found the lovely art-deco-ish text from what looks like a fan-made image of the movie (no idea where it's from, but I loved the typography).

Dave's first-view response: I like the shadows. You're getting better! [I tell him I feel like I'm getting lazier] No, you're definitely getting better. And I'm raising my standards with every one, so that's even more impressive!


*Top five things the remake gets wrong: 1) replacing Macy's with "Cole's", 2) casting the weirdly cold Elizabeth Perkins as the mom, 3) Mara Wilson ≠ Natalie Wood, 4) Making the movie about corporate greed, 5) getting rid of the "sacks of mail" as evidence that Kris is Santa and instead using a dollar bill with "In God We Trust" circled, as though BELIEVING IN GOD ALSO MEANS YOU BELIEVE IN SANTA (I mean, I'm not going to knock Santa, but really?).
**He had some pretty good last words: when a friend remarked "It is hard to die," Gwenn responded from his deathbed "But it is harder to do comedy."

The reason why it looks like Susan has a hideous scar on her face is because back when I was priming the wall,
I thought it would be SUPER ADORABLE to paint a little heart with Dave's and my initials there.
Two coats of primer and three coats of chalkboard paint later, you can still make out the stupid heart

Such twinkly eyes!
I was also pretty happy with the beard

Everything New-York-based should use this font