“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!… Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!” ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone who has every supported me in my life. You mean more to me than you’ll ever know. May you and yours find something a little bit more this Christmas than just packages and bows. All my best- Denielle

Materials used: Derwent Colorsoft Pencils, Derwent Graphik Line Painter

The process: As I typically do, I start with a very light pencil sketch to layout the design. For this one, I used a photo reference of a real poinsettia. I began filling in the background with a bright but soft yellow. Next I worked on the poinsettia blooms, starting with the lightest red shade and working in layers I applied pressure to create the richer red shaded areas. I used the same technique for the green leaves and the vines. Along the vines I journaled my feelings of the season with a recorded date. As a final touch, I used my red line painter to say “Merry Christmas” which made the wording pop from the page. I don’t often work with colored pencils, but working on this entry made me appreciate this flexible and fun art medium.