My 2019 Holiday Card

“Now he’s laying a finger aside of his nose…”

I like to create my annual holiday cards based on pieces of porcelain that I’ve made, and also create them in a format that can be used as Christmas tree ornaments or general holiday hanging art if desired.

This year I adapted a plate that I made in 2013 in which the image itself – while inspired by the Roy Lichtenstein painting “I can see the whole room and there’s nobody in it!” – is actually based on a panel from the 1961 “Steve Roper” comic by American artist William Overgard. 

Here’s a side-by-side comparison from the excellent “Deconstructing Roy Lichtenstein” website by David Barsalou. Check out his website for more comparisons between Lichtenstein’s millions-making artworks and their less-recognized original comic art sources.

For my take on this indelible image I converted the scene from a dramatic criminal investigation comic into a variation on the old holiday poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, another original piece of art that through adaptations over the years is more commonly known as “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822, this time-tested poem has captivated kids and adults alike for nearly 200 years.

In my adaptation I envision the poem’s narrator, the father (“mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap”) sneaking a peak at St. Nicholas filling up the family’s Christmas stockings and then preparing to scoot back up the chimney to his sleigh:

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose

For me this captures the childhood excitement and wonder that is Christmas Eve, and takes me squarely back to one of those early childhood Christmas mornings when I snuck halfway down the stairs to see presents laid out beneath the tree.

Wherever you are this year I hope you and your family have a similar season of wonder and excitement! Happy Holidays!