Thinking ahead to the holidays? OH NO!

11 x15 Winsor Newton WC paper 140# rough

I know, I know, I know.  Thinking Christmas before Halloween is not to be done!!!  I know.

But every September after Labor Day the grandkids go back to school and the cabin gets "really" quiet for a few weeks before we start making packing lists for going back to Florida.

AND I know from years of experience that we "hit the ground running" in Florida.  Not a relaxing time.  

SO, I am sorry guys.  This is when I have time to think about my Christmas card and even starting my Christmas letter.  

When I saw this little funky reindeer at a garage sale this summer ($1.50) I just fell in love with him.  I have always loved candlesticks anyway.  I mean he is just totally rusty and cute.  So I knew I was looking at my card for this year.  Well, I've given up cards actually...the final art work is placed into the Christmas email and the Christmas letter now.  

So I did a freehand ink drawing of him on drawing paper and then transferred the image to both wc paper and YUPO wc paper.  I am going to play with image a second time in my demo on the 18th.  

I've drawn lightly (you can barely see) a formatting around his guy and am now thinking about either a light or dark background behind him.  Maybe a graded wash getting lighter at the top nearer the candle?  Well, lots of fun ahead.  

Hubby is busy with his garage today and it's really nice and quiet in the studio...we are getting two more days of Indian Summer with temps in the high 70s.  Then Thursday...the big temperature crash and down we go.  Lows will drop into the 30s and we won't even see 60 for a high.  Sigh.  Leaves are turning, acorns are dropping, crickets are chirping.  I am thinking of making soup.