One Sketch 275) Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Man (3/4 of a year completed!)

Angels on Christmas Day
That's plain to see
Expecting originality?
Not from me.

Yes, yesterday by the way I hadn't quite worked out that I was just over 3/4 of the way through the year, which is why I've made the point today. If you've joined me at any time during the previous 9 months, can I wiash you a very merry Christmas, and thank you for your company.

One Sketch 269) (Wednesday 19th December)I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Rockwell

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
I wouldn't really mind
But Daddy has been in the nick
- Serving five years' time

That's not very seasonal is it? Sorry. Yesterday's prompt on Sketching Every Day was to depict a holiday song, and I recalled seeing the Rockwell picture which this one tries to copy. Bearing in mind my experience of a couple of days ago I made this one into a card just in case the need should arise during the next day or two.

One Sketch 268) (Tuesday 18th December) Last Minute Christmas card

Ah, the innocent pleasures
Of yesteryear
Snowman building
Snowball fights
And double pneumonia

How ironic. You may remember me making a ton of Christmas cards back in November. I took them into work to give to friends and colleagues yesterday. I had the mortifying experience of being one short. The prompt on Sketching Every Day was Snowman or Snow woman, so there at least was the inspiration for a desperate frantic lunch hour spent sketching to make this one. Not too shabby.

One Sketch 248) Christmas Card 30 - One horse open sleigh

Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
Is a hell of a lot colder
Than a roller.

That's my 30th card for this year. I set myself the target of 25 by the end of November - when I reached the target last weekend I set a new target of 30. That's all I'm going to do for now, although if I have a sudden need for more I have some blanks to work on left.

One Sketch 247) Reindeer (sort of) Christmas Card

Ho ho ho
But watch your back
And don't go near
The guy with the sack

This is my 25th Christmas card this year, so we're definitely getting there. One more, and I reach the target I set myself for November, and should have enough. Mind you, I'm giving the first of them tomorrow night at Artists Group, since its our last meeting until January.

One Sketch 246) Christmas Carollers card

What they said
Yesterday

Limited time and limited imagination combine for me to give you this. Still, nearly done with making Christmas cards for this year. I set myself the target of having 25 ready by the end of November - I already have 28, so I'm close to my second ary target of 30.

One Sketch 245) 2018 Christmas Card number 26 - Carollers

We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
Now make with the mince pies and mulled wine
Or we'll break your windows.

Up to 26 individual handmade cards ready now - although 4 of them are left over from last year's cards - so I've reached the target I set myself of having 25 cards ready by the end of November. So I set a new target of 30 by the end of the month now.

One Sketch 244 (TWO THIRDS OF A YEAR!) Cards based on Norman Rockwell originals

Norman Rockwell
Proof,
(If any should be needed)
That you don't need words
To be a Poet.

Yes, today we've actually completed slightly more than 2/3 of a year. 244 days is actually two thirds of a leap year, but then yesterday was just slightly less than two thirds. I don't really have time to get out my watercolours during the week, while I can make an ink sketch while sitting in front of the telly, but there really isn't an excuse during the weekend.

I set myself the target of having 25 cards done by the end of November. I've made 20 this year and had 4 left over of the cards I made last year, so I'm very nearly there. What I will try to do is make another 6 cards, which will mean that I've made 25 in November.

One Sketch 243) Thomas Nast inspired card (5)

Santa's mistiming his call
For a kid has climbed right up the wall
He sits on the stack
His sack on his back
And waits for the bugger to fall

What can I say - I just love Thomas Nast's work. He was the guv'nor.

One Sketch 242) Hipster Geting Pelted by Ugly Kids Christmas Card

See the hipster run.
Run hipster, run.
See the hipster mutter
Mutter Hipster, mutter!
See the hipster getting really pissed off.
Get really pissed off, Hipster, Get really pissed off!
See the hipster take a riding crop to those sodding kids.

Another Victorian engraving provided the base for this card.

One Sketch 241) (Weds 21st November) Christmas Card based on Thomas Nast Engraving

Santa has said with a groan
"Oh blimey, I'm not on my own"
I've come to a house
Where the cats crave a mouse
And the dog is expecting a bone."

Yep, the great Thomas Nast again. I set myself the target of making 25 cards before the end of November, and this is number 19. Getting there.

One Sketch 240) Reindeer Christmas Card

Prancer, Dancer
Dasher, Vixen
Comet, Cupid
Donner, Blitzen
Call them what you like
They're knackered by Boxing Day.

You gotta have a reindeer card amongst them.

One Sketch 239) (Monday 19th November) - Old fashioned Victorian Father Christmas

While Rudolph is having a snooze
Pa Christmas will quite often choose
To throw off the shackles
And prepare to tackle
A steaming great bowlful of booze

This is based on another Victorian Christmas engraving, but a very English one, probably from the Illustrated London News or some such. Go back a hundred and fifty years and more, and we Brits didn't really have a concept of Santa Claus. While American cartoonists like the great Thomas Nast were creating what became the classic conception of Santa, his English contemporaries invariably gave us Father Christmas. Not always without the presents for the kiddies but almost always with the steaming wassail bowl full of very alcoholic punch to spread cheer and alcoholism to the adults. You can usually recognise the traditional English Father Christmas through the bowl and also a wreath or crown of holly on the top of his head.

One Sketch 238) Another Thomas Nast based Christmas Card

A letter to Santa

You think he's not real

And yet

You still hope

Sorry - it's another Christmas card. My aim is to finish making all of my Christmas cards by the end of November, and I've still got quite a few to do. This is another based on a Thomas Nast engraving. Thomas Nast often depicted his own children in his Christmas sketches - this is probably one of his daughters, and it may even be his dog as well.

One Sketch 237) Norman Rockwell Christmas Card

It's hard to tell you the truth
When you're getting quite long in the tooth,
You try to be kind
But it's quite hard to find
Just where in the world's the right roof.

Yes, this is Christmas card production season, and this is another based on a Norman Rockwell original. Kitsch? Probably, but then that's the whole point. I don't care, anyway, I love the work of Norman Rockwell.

One Sketch 234 (Weds 14th November) Christmas Card

The season just makes us feel young
So songs through the ages have sung
The fat cat has said
He'll pull on the sled
He's probably after a bung.

No idea who sketched this one originally, I just liked it. I made this during Artists' Group on Wednesday evening.

One Sketch 233) (Tuesday 13th November) John Tenniel Christmas Card

Santa s trying to skate
He seems to be tempting his fate
He's dazed and confused
He's been at the booze
He'll end in a hell of a state

Another 2018 Christmas card based on a cartoon by my favourite British Victorian cartoonist, Sir John Tenniel. Tenniel always drew a very English Father Christmas - absolutely not Santa Claus - with holly around his pointy hat, and seemingly a little the worse for strong drink.

One Sketch 231) Victorian Engraving inspired Christmas Card

Christmas comes but once a year
The cost is rather shocking
So make sure that you always have
A really massive stocking.

Yes, I'm well into the Christmas card producing season, for the third year in a row. I love Victorian engravings, and I try to use as many design ideas inspired by these as I can.

One Sketch 230) Norman Rockwell Christmas Card

Santa is checking his list
Which he holds in a chubby old fist
So take my advice
If you want to stay nice
Don't gamble, or smoke, or get drunk.

Every year I make my own Christmas cards. Well, I say my own. For the most part they're designs based on old depictions of Santa and other Christmas motifs. Last year I went heavily on Thomas Nast and John Tenniel. This is based on a Saturday Evening Post cover by Norman Rockwell, whose work I have always absolutely loved.