Reflecting on some of the Christmas cards I made over the last 11 years...

Hello dear reader!

I hope this missive finds you well and relaxed before the escalation of the end of the year… It is funny how the month of December always seems to go faster than the others. For us, the month of December actually started in November, more specifically on Sunday night 30th November, where we HAD to prepare an advent calendar for the kids, it shows how organized we are as parents of young kids!

For your information, we just made it and had something ready for the 1st of December…Anyway, back to the subject of this blog post - Christmas, not about the fact that it is always coming too fast, that it is busy time of the year, that the kids are getting way too many presents or that it usually ends up being stressful, none of that, I just wanted to look back at the Christmas cards I drew or painted over the years. I am currently working on one for this year but it is not ready to be shared yet.

I first started distributing Christmas cards to friends and family in 2014. It is one that has a special meaning and story. Back then, we had neighbours that were driving us crazy for various reasons, but I ended up making peace with my frustration and I drew that.

I still love this little piece, its characters and mood. The intention was simple - make peace with your neighbours (even if they will not fit in your house - invite them in) but also with the world around you. Many years later (in 2019 actually), I self published The Fabulous Adventures of Pipo with this penguin as protagonist. This card was done with pencils only.

The next one was done in 2016 with watercolors and ink. Back then, I got fascinated with the postmen and postwomen running around, distributing mountains of parcels and imagined how Santa would actually organize the logistics of present distribution if he had to cover the entire world in a single night.

I still love the hot air balloon design!

In 2019, I imagined how Christmas was being celebrated by mice…Again done with watercolors and ink.

This mouse is just so proud of herself…and about to get hugely disappointed I am afraid…Also the wrapping has Pohutukawa flowers on it, which is a flower from a New Zealand tree that flowers around Christmas time downunder (and is gorgeous).

And finally in 2022, my agent asked me if I could do a christmas card for her agency. I submitted different concepts and they ended up choosing an ice skating snowman.

I would not advise to read and ice skate at the same time, but I am guessing you are not a snowman, are you? And if you are, it is AMAZING that a snowman reads this post!!!!

Anyway, I am looking forward to share this year’s card with you but that will be in two weeks. In the meantime, please look after yourself, your neighbours and the world around you.

Take care,

César