Saint Peter's outdoor crib - 20 12 2020

I have not done a lot of photography recently, partly due to the weather, partly to do with the Covid restrictions and partly because I have been doing other things. As activities inside churches are restricted at present, I was asked to make a crib to stand outside the church, for the Christmas season. This is it. It was inspired by this window in Saint Margaret's Church in Rottingdean. www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/48513620/in/album/1230146
There are a couple of unusual additions to complement the Holy Family. On their own they seemed a bit static and isolated, so the inn-keeper's wife was added. She also acknowledges the difficult time that those in the hospitality and travel industries have had. Something that our local seaside communities have experienced first-hand. I could bore you with the links made between the other figures - wise men & shepherds - and those helping us get through the current crisis, but it would take a while!
The other extra item is a goldfinch. We had recently been told of the significance of goldfinches shown in some old master paintings of the child Jesus. I was given a model bird to add to the scene.
The crib was made of pallets and roofing felt. The figures were built around carved blocks of foam wall insulation, with faces and hands moulded from air-dry clay. The roof was an old bamboo window blind. It has stood up to some quite rough weather, with only a couple of minor repairs needed.