Advent Calendar 2024

I've completed my 14th Advent Calendar.  It's always a blessing for me to reflect, draw, and color using seasonal images and words, often taken from scripture, hymns, and prayers.

This year, with Advent starting on December 1, my calendar grid works best with four rows of six, and a center oval for Christmas Day.  So the Sunday spaces (where I draw candles) occur diagonally.  Each drawing space is small, about 1-3/4" high, and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.

If you'd like to see my calendar drawings from past years, click here.

• Copic markers
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1 black
• Paper: Neenah
• Words and sources:
• 12/1  We are leaving ordinary time  (My calendar each year starts with these words which point out the wonder of the Advent time, looking forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus.  And in the church year, our long season of "ordinary time" - the summer and fall weeks after Pentecost - has now ended)
• 12/2  Holy and Mighty (Trisagion hymn, "Holy God, holy and mighty, holy immortal one, have mercy upon us")
• 12/3  Fulfill the promise;  12/4  A righteous Branch;  12/5  Live in safety (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
  
• 12/6  Be alert (Luke 21:36
  
• 12/7  Gloria in Excelsis (Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest ...")
  
• 12/8  Grace 
• 12/9-10  No words
• 12/11  Greet with joy! (Collect for 2nd Sunday in Advent, Book of Common Prayer, "... that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer ...")
  
• 12/12  The desert shall rejoice (Isaiah 35:1)
• 12/13  Love
• 12/14  Lift high your praise! (Advent hymn, "Prepare the way, O Zion")
• 12/15-16  No words
• 12/17  Rejoice in the Lord always - Again I say, Rejoice!  (Philippians 4:4)
• 12/18  Hope 
• 12/19  Angels we have heard on high (Hymn) 
• 12/20  Trust
• 12/21  Dayspring (Advent hymn, "O come, O come Emmanuel") 
• 12/22  Come, Emmanuel (same source as 12/21) 
• 12/23  Bless
• 12/24   Filled with expectation (Luke 3:15)
• 12/25  Christ the Savior is born!  (Hymn, "Silent night, holy night")
  

Advent Calendar 2023

I've finished drawing my Advent calendar, the 13th since I began in 2008.  As always, it's been a meaningful way for me to reflect, draw, and color using seasonal images and words, often taken from scripture, hymns, and prayers. 

Because Advent ended on Sunday 12/24 this year, my calendar grid has double-wide spaces for the Sundays (moving down diagonally from the top left) and for Christmas Day.

Each drawing space is small, about 1-5/8" high, and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.  If you'd like to see my calendar drawings from past years, click here.

• Copic markers; also some colored pencil for 12/3
  
• Pen: Copic multiliner or Micron
  
• Words and sources:
• 12/3  We are leaving ordinary time  (My calendar each year starts with these words which point out the wonder of the Advent time, looking forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus.  And in the church year, our long season of "ordinary time" - the summer and fall weeks after Pentecost - has now ended.)
  
• 12/4  Make haste to help us (Psalm 70:1 and Book of Common Prayer, evening prayer liturgy)
• 12/5  O come, thou branch of Jesse's tree (Hymn "O come, O come, Emmanuel")
• 12/6  Joy
• 12/7  Keep awake (Mark 13:35-37)
• 12/8  Grace
• 12/9  Good news - Jesus Christ the Son of God (Mark 1:1) 
• 12/10 Joyful hope is springing (Hymn "Sleepers, wake!") 
• 12/11 Mercy and truth have met together (Psalm 85:10) 
• 12/12 Restore (Psalm 80:3) 
• 12/13 The day is near (Romans 13:12) 
• 12/14 Stir up your strength and come to help us (Psalm 80:2) 
• 12/15 Peace shall be a pathway for his feet (Psalm 85:13) 
• 12/16 God so loves the world ... (John 3:16, with "loves" in place of "loved")
  
• 12/17 Rejoice, rejoice, believers, and let your lights appear!  (Hymn)
  
• 12/18 Listen 
• 12/19 Holy and mighty (Trisagion hymn, "Holy God, holy and mighty, holy immortal one, have mercy upon us")
  
• 12/20 The Lord is not slow about His promise. (2 Peter 3:9) 
• 12/21 Son of God - Savior - Emmanuel - Redeemer - Son of Man
  
• 12/22 Praise
  
• 12/23 Patience
  
• 12/24 May the Word sent from God lead us in the way of love, hope, joy, and peace. (Advent candle-lighting sentence from our church bulletin)
  
• 12/25 Joy to the world!
  

Advent Calendar 2022

I've finished my Advent calendar, the 12th since I began in 2008.  It's always a meaningful way for me to reflect, draw, and color using seasonal images and words, often taken from scripture, hymns, and prayers.  

Each drawing space is small, about 1-5/8" high, and it may look a bit fuzzy or faded above.  For a better view, click on the image.  If you'd like to see my calendar drawings from past years, click here.

• Copic markers
  
• Pen: Copic multiliner
• Words and sources:
• 11/27  We are leaving ordinary time  (My calendar each year starts with these words which point out the wonder of the Advent time, looking forward to Christmas and the birth of Jesus.  And in the church year, our long season of "ordinary time" - the summer and fall weeks after Pentecost - has now ended.)
• 11/28 Hope of all the earth Thou art (hymn - Come Thou Long-expected Jesus)
• 11/29 A light to the nations  (Luke 2:32)
  
• 11/30 Joy
  
• 12/1  Born a child, and yet a King (hymn - Come Thou Long-expected Jesus)
• 12/2  He shall reign forever and ever - Hallelujah!  (Handel's Messiah - Hallelujah chorus)
  
• 12/3  Peace
  
• 12/4  Grace
  
• 12/5  Let each heart prepare a home (hymn "On Jordan's Bank." There are various translations of the lyrics. My hymnal reads, "Let each heart prepare a home where such a mighty Guest may come.")
• 12/6-8 and 13-15  Unto us a child (Isaiah 9:6)
• 12/9 The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him. (Isaiah 11:2)
• 12/10  The wilderness shall be glad. (from Isaiah 35:1)
• 12/11  Happy are they whose hope is in the Lord. (from Psalm 146:4)
• 12/12  Holy and mighty  (Trisagion hymn - "Holy Lord, holy and mighty, holy immortal one, have mercy upon us.")
• 12/16  Love
• 12/17  Stars keep watch (hymn - People, Look East) 
• 12/18  O come, Emmanuel (hymn)
• 12/19  Pour light upon us (hymn - O Heavenly Word - "pour light upon us from above, and fire our hearts with ardent love") 
• 12/20  Mercy
• 12/21  Wait
• 12/22  Awake
• 12/23  The day is near (Romans 13:12)
• 12/24  Anticipate ...
  

Advent Calendar 2015

I've finished my 2015 Advent calendar drawings.  As in the other years, it felt like time well spent.

This daily activity helps me reflect on the hope and joy of the season.  If you might like to try something similar, click here for more information, including template links and prior years' calendars.

Each drawing space is small (about 1-5/8" high) and it may look a bit fuzzy above.  For a better view, click on the image.

For a listing of words, sources of words, Copic colors, and other materials used,  see below (or click on "read more" to see it)

Two Drawings for Friends

Two three-panel drawings from January.  The drawing above was inspired by three beautiful poems written by a friend, who included them with my birthday card.  I gave her my illustration with my thanks.

The one below was drawn for another friend who requested "snow on trees." 

• Copic marker colors used: I didn't keep track of them
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 black
• White is the paper (top left, bottom right, large areas of bottom left) or Copic opaque white
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 4-1/4 x 5-12"
• Words (top drawing): Blackbird sky, Paths of tears, Gingko gold

Leafy Branch with Wine Red

There's a hint of fall in the air this week, so a touch of wine red in my leafy branch. 

• Copic marker colors used: YG95,97, R56
• Pen: Copic multiliner 0.3 black
• Paper: Neenah, 3.75 x 5"
• Mat: Hero Arts grenadine layering paper,  4.25 x 5.5"

Advent Calendar 2012

My 2012 calendar is now complete. Another year of words and pictures for the Advent season.  Along with drawing and coloring, this year I experimented with some bits of colored paper, as mentioned here.

The drawing spaces are small (about 1-5/8" high), so you may want to click on the image for a better view, especially if it looks a bit fuzzy above.

Click here for my friend Sybil's beautiful and prayerful 2012 Advent calendar, in a very different format from mine.  You can read her thoughts on her first week here and her second week here on her Praying in Color blog.

For my previous Advent calendar drawings, click as follows:

• Here for 2011
• Here for 2010
• Here for 2009
• Here for 2008
• Here for all of my Advent and Christmas-related drawings and posts

For more information about the calendar and the template, click here for my template post.

For a listing of words, sources of words, Copic colors, and other materials used,  see below (or click on "read more" to see it)

Sparse Landscape

A sparse landscape with trees.  Few leaves, muted colors, a late November feeling.   Just a little warm-up sketch, but I like how it turned out. 

• Copic marker colors used: YR24,27, Y28, YG91,95, E23,84,87.  The drawing has more variation of colors than is seen in my scan. 
• I dabbed on colorless blender solution ("0") with terry cloth to make the mottled effect.  
• Paper: Neenah, cut down to 5x7"

Thanksgiving 2009

This fall, several of my family members have had serious medical issues, all now moving in a very good direction. So much to be thankful for as I drew this Thanksgiving prayer drawing.

In the center oval, the words "All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above; then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord for all his love" are the refrain of a 200-year-old harvest hymn. The first line is "We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand." I didn't grow up on a farm, but in a rich farming area, and I love the hymn for its spirit of gratitude. Click here to hear the tune and read the rest of the words.

To see my Thanksgiving drawing for 2008, click here.

I've labeled a few of my drawings "multiples," including both Thanksgiving drawings. Sometimes I really enjoy creating a drawing made up of small related drawings. To see all of my "multiples" click here, or on the label below or to the right. I've also used today's layout before (five ovals from a PowerPoint slide that I printed onto my drawing paper) - you will see it in my "five oval Marys" if you click to see my other "multiples."

• Other words: top left - family, friends, love; top right - health, healing, spirit; bottom left - work, rest, abundance; bottom right - singing, drawing, joy.
• Copic colors used:
  center - BG000,45, YG23,63, YR14,15,24, Y26, E11,15;
  top left - R00,24,29,32, Y26, B24;
  top right - custom color B2000, B24, E15, YR15, R08;
  bottom left - YR20, BV31, YR07,15, YG23,63, R08, E15;
  bottom right - BG10,32,49, RV06,17;
  top ribbons - YG63, YR07; bottom ribbons - B24, YR15;
  left ribbons - R29, Y26; right ribbons - BG49, RV06.
• Paper: Neenah, 8.5x11"

Tree with flowers

When I colored the tree originally (see below), I thought it looked too dark and heavy compared to the flowers. So I drew a new tree, colored it, and cut it out. Then I cut along the bottom of the old tree, slid the new tree in (on top of the old tree, behind the front-most red flowers), and glued it in place. Much better.

Old tree:

February Trees

Late February, New England. Tree trunks and branches might be the only color in the landscape.

The verse, "Behold, I make all things new" is Revelations 21:5.

Landscape with Seated Person

Linoleum Print Tree

One time I bought a small linoleum carving kit, with tools, brayer, ink, and a linoleum block. This was my only output. Not my medium, but I do like this tree.

Stamped on textured gray paper. The image is about 1.5 x 1.5 inches.

Bookplate - Landscape with Stars and Trees

My mom was learning calligraphy, and she wanted to make a bookplate. She asked me to draw something for it. This is what we used for the drawing. She wrote the "Ex Libris." I have 2 bookplates left.

This was our only joint art work, but we often worked on the same sewing or knitting project. She liked hemming, I liked sewing buttons on. Our knitting gauge was the same. We were a good team. I miss her.

To try this, click here.

Frog Panel

This is a very large drawing, 11 x 50", on three pages of drawing paper. See below for the individual pages.

I made two paper frog cutouts to trace around. I enjoyed all the details - flowers, trees, rocks, water, lizards, turtle, frog variations. Below are the three pages.

Left:

Center:

Right:

Tree with Four Leaves

Done with colored pencils. Wonderful colors. A solemn feeling.

Paper: ecru Crane's card approx. 4x6"

Beach with Tree Stump

I love the swirling lines in the water, and the tree trunk.

Rowboat with Flowers

A rowboat, tied up to the trees, with flowers around it. Colored with Pentel fine tip markers.

Hollow Tree with Landscape

A landscape inside the hollow tree. In addition to the landscape, I like the tree leaves and the green sun.