Merry Christmas 2022: THE QUIET LADY

 

2B Pencil on 160mm x 140mm paper

It's that time of year again, and again I've done another image for the Christmas cards I give out to people. This time, though, the story is written by that famous northern novelist, Archie Felch. You may not have read any of his books and, after reading his take on Christmas stories, you probably won't want to, but enjoy it nevertheless.

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Previous Christmas card images and stories can be found below:

2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021

Merry Christmas 2019 : BOLLOCKS TO CHRISTMAS

(HB pencil on 147mm x 96mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

It's that time of year again, so I did another drawing to use on a Christmas card, together with a story to go along with it. This "Spray Can Clown" is the main character of Reginald P Grimm, who has his own particular dislike for Christmas. With this one, I added a rare flash of colour to the actual card design in picture editing software, as you can see here:

(final card design)

It wasn't much, but it's worth mentioning. In the previous cards I've done, it's usually just the words "Merry Christmas" and the year. However, depicting the character in his clown mask and brandishing spray cans demanded that the extra wording was added.











So, sit back for a moment, and enjoy the seasonal tale of Reginald P Grimm....

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Merry Christmas 2017 : Grey Christmas

 

(2B pencil on a 139mm x 87mm postcard)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

As I've done on previous years, I did this artwork for some Christmas cards that I then printed out and gave to various people, with a slightly otherworldly seasonal tale to go along with it, which can be read in the pages below (just click on one and scroll through them).

 

 

Merry Christmas 2016 - Elf Made



(HB pencil on a 138mm x 87mm postcard)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

A Christmas elf is not born, they are made,

From one who lives their life in the shade.

 

As with the previous two years, I put this artwork on some Christmas cards that I printed out, which I then gave to various people. I re-used the idea of the strange, foul-mouthed elves that I'd previously used for the 2014 card. The story within the card tells of how Santa's elves are created, which you can view below by clicking on them (click on one and you should be able to easily scroll through them all):

 



 

On a scroll of vellum, with ink of blue,

For your letter to Santa is what you must do,

Tied and bound with a feather found,

Then cast into fire when there's no-one around.

Numen-Deus TREASURE : THE FATEFUL PEN

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE-

 

Using the ink of your own blood, this pen allows you to write your own destiny. Anything that you write for yourself will come to pass, no matter how obscure or strange it may be.

Even in the hands of the mindful, it has the power to corrupt. For the author who dictates their own life story has no life at all, and no story to tell. In the end, they become nothing but victims of their own deep, dark, perversions.

We should remember what Numen-Deus tries to tell us:

 

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"

Merry Christmas 2014 - The Santa Clause

(HB pencil on A6 card)

I decided to make this into a Christmas card and used photoshopped text on the front and inside. Not something I normally do, but I have to admit that I was actually pleased with how crudely letterpress they looked, although that might have more to do with the crappy printer I have and the cheap printer ink that I use. So if you've received one of these cards from someone, then I hope you liked it and the following seasonal tale contained within....

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Numen-Deus TREASURE : THE CHRONOS WATCH



(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

 - NOT AVAILABLE -

 

This silver timepiece, created by an unknown maker in the 19th century, has the power to take you back and forth through time. You can even slow time down, or stop it altogether if you wish.

The pages of history and the future that is yet unwritten are wide open to you, but many dangers come with the gift of time travel. It's not meant for the unprepared fool or those with high expectations.

Numen-Deus always tries to remind us:

 

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"



Numen-Deus TREASURE : PET WORLD

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

 

Play God with the amazing Numen-Deus Pet World!

Create your world and alter it through millions of years of evolution. You can even walk on your world in your very own virtual body! Then, when you've indulged all of your sick fantasies and destroyed your world in an act of pure madness, you'll then learn the true, horrific, nature of the game.

That it's actually a powerful temporal device which creates your world for real, billions of years in the past, on the other side of the galaxy. Which explains why there are no save points, rewinds, or second goes with this game. You're left to live with the guilt of all your actions.

Either that or the inhabitants of your world reach a level of technological advancement that they set out from their planet to give you and your world a good kicking!

Numen-Deus does try and warn us:

 

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"



Numen-Deus TREASURE : BUBBLEPOPS

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

 Blow a bubble and wish into it your perfect world. When the bubble pops, your reality will instantly come into being.

A very unusual, yet powerful, treasure that should never be misjudged by it's innocent looking appearance. It is the simplest of things that can cause the greatest problems. For what is the perfect world when one man's heaven can be another man's hell?

"Serenity" and "Wisdom" is the caution a previous owner has scratched into the clay of the bottle. Numen-Deus have their own:

 "ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"



Numen-Deus TREASURE : ITCHIGON

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

For his crimes against her, Itchigon was damned by the goddess Fortuna to remain as an amulet to ward off all other curses and misfortune. Those who possess it will have nothing but incredible good luck, but others will begin to notice this after a while and regard you with envy and suspicion. You may even become lazy with your luck, for how can you appreciate good fortune if you never have any bad?

As Numen-Deus says:

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"



Numen-Deus TREASURE : EKCHUAH'S STONE

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

 

An ancient Mayan talisman that's capable of teleporting the bearer anywhere in the world.

The benefits of such a treasure are obvious to the eager traveller, but the dangers may be less so. For when the world suddenly becomes so small, it can seem a less significant place, eroding any sense of belonging. The bearer risks turning into a lost, cold soul, forever a lonely nomad in a world without wonder. But Numen-Deus tries to point out:

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"

Numen Deus TREASURE : THE SHADOW MASK

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

It bestows the power of invisibility onto those who wear it and is a treasure many would be eager to use.

They'd use it to spy, to steal and to kill, driving themselves insane with the power it gives. But it's losing all sense of the self that is the true danger here. Lose that and you risk vanishing into nothing.

Numen-Deus tries to remind us:

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"

Numen-Deus TREASURE : THE MIDAS GLOVE

(HB pencil on 85mm x 50mm card)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

Fortune is truly at hand within a glove sewn from the very skin of King Midas himself. Once worn, it gives you the power to turn anything you touch to purest gold.

A treasure many would long to own, if only for a moment. However, Numen-Deus leaves you these wise words of warning:

"ALL DESIRES DEMAND THEIR OWN PRICE"