The Advent drawings that never made it

This one was supposed to be the cover for Charlie Darling's Les Christmas de Belsize album, but I don't know what didn't feel alright with it, so I never finished it.

I don't really remember about this one, I think it was another cover trying. There were supposed to be Christmas lights and decorations all around the window, but I missed the night sky, so I did not finish it.

This is a funny one. The first up here was the "remake" for the postcard down here that I made at 13 or 14 years old, I don't know. I tried and I failed. But I think I'll try again, I just don't wanna give up.

I guess I've always loved snowy landscapes...

nah.. did this before the project started and completely forgot about it..

another something I did and forget about

And this one.. well, didn't even know existed till today when I was going through my drawings.. Don't know what it was supposed to be, it was titled "Christmas" though.

I loved this one when I did it, and I still do. Never really finished it but maybe I will. Anyway, you can see that the main idea or this went into the "Readying the Birthday Party" drawing I did. It was supposed to be used for the same reason so I don't think there's anything wrong about it.

Another one. This one was posted on tumblr, but not here. Don't ask why, I wish I knew.

"Yours was broken so I bought you this". I actually did.

First Christmas drawing of the year..

I just don't know. It never got to be more than a sketchbook drawing for no reason at all..

I came with the idea of drawing a Christmas magic ball, and there would be a man over it with a sack filled with snow and a women in the ball with a lovely umbrella.

I posted this on twitter, I think. 

You might guess what this one was for. Another failed idea.. the tree is not decorated, but if I had finished it, it would be.

I don't really know, just some Christmas/winter stuff

Sketch of an idea.. "wanting to reach someone but unable to.. there's only a magic star that they can both share" more or less that was the idea.

I do pay lots of attention in class, you see?

Wanting to bring different christmas traditions together. Here is the Tió, which we celebrate on Christmas, not Santa. We have the Magic Kings instead, and Tió, which is a wonderful thing, you must take care of him the days before Christmas, and then, you hit it so it "shits" you your presents. It doesn't sound really good, but it is!

more Christmas stuff drawn on class..

and more and more.. but this had so many reasons to be made.. Not all are happy times during Christmas days..

..and a little bit of magic too

This, which I don't know if got to be posted anywhere.. well, you know, Christmas and Blueboy..

And this is it.. I love drawing Christmas stuff, but I'm not usually in a merry joyfull mood so sometimes it was hard. But I've really enjoyed this project. Went through many things and now, remembering some of the drawings that didn't made it is kind of nice..

I guess we all doodle and sketch things, no matter which art you are in, and not being finished doesn't mean it's not something important to you..

Sugar Rushed

I was, and still am.

Went to see Wreck-It Ralph last night, and I loved it! It's so sweet and wonderful. And I finally could see Paperman! (I cried, but who wouldn't?)

And what about the wonderful soundtrack? It cheered me up in such a way. It's really been my top of the week, maybe two weeks or more I'd say. And I had so much fun drawing myself as a Sugar Rush racer.

I've chosen Cotton Candy cause when my sister and me were walking out of the cinema, we were talking about which sweet would we be. And she said I should be an extra sweet one, so I thought of Cotton Cany, which I think may be my favourite.
The thing is that I'm really good at racing games (tend to, not against pro players though) so I didn't want to be super sweet and that's it, I don't know, I guess that's why I'm on a kind of sweatshirt, though, on the other hand, I added extra doses of pink.

And now, before I go back to work, Let's race??

Dec 25: Merry Christmas!

Bringing you the presents through this winter wonderland..

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas Eve and that you're having a really nice Christmas day!

I wonder if you did wake up to a Christmas snow and immediatelly thought how wonderful that was, another Christmas present, I guess.

Here there was no White Christmas, as I already expected, so one of my Christmas wishes did for sure, not come true. Hope that means some other will.

I really don't know what to say. It's been an incredible journey, sometimes a little rollercoaster of feelings, but all in all, I enjoyed doing this Advent Calendar. Though some times I was so tired I think this has helped me to grow and learn, and I'm so happy of some of the drawings I've done and that you guys actually liked them! When I started this blog I really did not expect anyone to like what I was doing. I love you all so much for all the kind words that have helped me to keep on drawing all through the year.

Man, I've drawn so many things this december, I've never really accomplished anything, at least not something that meant this type of constant work, but this time I've done it, and I'm so happy about it that I cannot see myself now not thinking of a new Christmas drawing tomorrow when I wake up.

I guess I'll keep drawing Christmas and winter stuff, because I've loved this so much, but not everyday and maybe not all of them will be Christmas or Winter related. I'll just have more freedom, that will be until I get into another project, which, by the way, I'd love to!

Merry Christmas you all, and let some magic happen around you!

ps. Hope you had wonderful dreams the Christmas Eve night. I did.

Dec 24: I Love You Deerly

I'll be home for Christmas

you can count on me.

Please have snow and mistletoe

and presents on the tree.

Christmas eve will find me

where the lovelight gleams.

I'll be home for Christmas,

if only in my dreams.

I really love you deerly :) haha, old joke, I know, but still really nice and true.

Hope you're having a wonderful day, that you're readying everything for Christmas Eve, sharing this moments with the loved ones, caring for each other and uncappable to wait until tomorrow morning to see their faces when they open the presents!

This one is my "This year's Christmas Postcard" which I'll try to (even if only through the net) send to my loved ones (or at least the ones that I think might care for this) and also I'll print some for my family.. tomorrow when I see them, I'll give it to them.

This will probably (though I'm not sure yet) the last Christmas greetings kind of drawing, I'd love to do one tomorrow, but I don't know how much time I'll have, so if  don't get to post something really Christmassy, consider this, the Christmas postcard for you all!

Love and Joy for you all. Thank you for everything, all the nice words and supporting what I do. I owe you a lot. Thanks and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! :)

Tona.

Dec 23: Hold You Close To Me

Now wait, wait, wait for me,

please hang around,

 I'll see you when I fall asleep..

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

Wanted to use some other lyrics from "Of Montsers and Men", the ones from King and Lionheart that go "And as the world comes to an end, I'll be here to hold your hand, 'cause you're my king and I'm your Lionheart".. because I really like them, but thought that the ones from Little Talks suited much more the picture and the feeling.. just wanted to point that out. I may use those other lyrics for another drawing some other day.. There are so many songs, and I find it too hard to choose, I always feel I'm forgetting about something that would work better.

Today I didn't really felt like drawing, sure I did at morning time, I woke up to such good news and I was really really happy. And people's kind words made me even happier.. but that watered down as the day went by, and though I know I should feel happier than ever, I just can't, for some reason.. though I'm a rollercoaster and maybe for some other stupid reason no one would thought could make me happy, I'll be. I'll just hang on here to see what happens.. and dream of good things to come.

I really love dreaming, I guess, that's why I did this drawing. The little squirrel is dreaming about Christmas, holding too close to it, so maybe it's not Christmas what it's dreaming about, maybe it's something more, the hope for a Christmas miracle, or the joy these days bring. The meeting of some old friends or going back with the family. Maybe it's having lots of good meals! 

I don't know, but it's something really, really strong, something to hold on to so deeply it almost hurts, but is still worth it to hold on to. Dreams can be cruel, but only by dreaming we get to what we really want.

Good night everyone, hope you have sweet, deep dreams, the ones you still remember at morning time and make you feel better.

Dec 22: Readying the Birthday Party

If you feel alone tonight

you can make yourself heard.

I'll keep staring at the sky, now that I know what I can find.

Don't stop shining, like the stars over the sea, that leave.

You go away without saying a thing, 

amid the deep night, always going forward,

till the end, unchanged, among dreams, travelling nowhere.

Take me always with you, that you can feel my memory.

Maybe now you know that you'll never come back,

but I know that following your way will take long, 

and you'll keep going on, never giving up.

"And when you go out there, if you take a deep breath and stare at the stars, you might see some of them falling down. But notice that they're not stars, they're glowing snowflakes dancing they way down to the ground.."

Today is J. (Mild Slopes) birthday (I know, I told you, so many birthdays this days) and I did this for him. I came with the idea long ago, but it changed along the way, still, I think it turned out to be alright. 

I know the lights are magically alight, but this days there's magic in the air, so anything can happen. I just wanted them to be on, gleaming through the dark of the night. 

This lights are as magic as the snowflakes that have a golden gleam in them.. everything is working on to get the birthday party ready, some forest critters are helping a little bit and I hope they're feeling too the joy the snowflakes are bringing..

I wonder if a place like that exists.. with snow everywhere and some trees here and there, but not so much so that the moon can still shine on the snow, and turn it all in a white and blue palette.. I'd love to be in a place like that (I keep hoping for some snow).

Anyway, Happy Brirthday!! hope you're having and that you have a wonderful day, and hope you get to see some snowflakes wherever you are, and that they bring you joy!

(btw, full view of the image makes it look better)

ps. I did not wrote the name of the song just because it's one I translated and adapted and didn't know if it could be considered anymore that song's lyrics..  that's why.

Dec 21: Let it Snow

"Remember you're not alone,
Remember Love,
Because love is the strongest power there is."

Just a little one because today I started my Holiday's break, and I'll put a lovely sweater and pretend I don't have a lot of stuff to do during the holidays.. 

And also because I've been working on tomorrow's one. Really, I've got such ideas for this weeked and I can't wait to bring them to life (and to see if I'll be able to!)

I want snow. But it's not like a place where it really snows here.. and if it does, it might be in January or February. I keep wishing, though, that maybe this year, I'll get to have a White Christmas...

On other news, wanted to make you cry a little bit (in a good way) so I'll leave you down here two things.

The first one is a tale by Hans Christian Andersen named, The Fir Tree. I first knew about it in a different adaptated way, and the end was much more joyful.. the tree did not die at all! it was planted outside the family's house and lived forever and ever! But here I leave you the link to the tale: (The Fir Tree) btw, thanks to Nordic Thoughts blog for the link.

The other thing I wanted to link here was something that might not get to you if you've never liked Harry Potter, but I've done, and I've grown up with the books and the movies, and it's been wonderful, and so, the other day I came through a video.. and it's making me cry every single time I watch it.. so maybe you'll cry too, (of joy) I don't know, but I have to try, right?

And that's it, have a marvelous Holidays!

Dec 20: Christmas lights are on

I turned my face away and dreamed about you(...)

I've got a feeling this year's for me and you

So happy Christmas, I love you baby
I can see a better time,

When all our dreams come true..

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues

It's done! This is the surprise I told you about, it's animated! :)

So, is it right to be super proud of myself just because I've made a little animation thing??? I hope so, because I am. I really am! Just wanted to make the Christmas lights a little bit more sensible, so I tried doing this. Hope you like it!

I wonder if you like walking down the streets this days and just see the lights on, and if that cheers you up, even if only a little bit.. I wish it's like that, that, somehow, they bring a little bit of colour, brightness and a warm feeling in your heart.. all I wish is that your heart is a little healed this days and feels the love that's in the air.

Here I leave you the drawing itself. (Mostly because lots of quality is lost when doing the Giff)

Dream about little electrical coloured lights.. Goodnight!

Dec 19: A Christmas Ball

"To the end of the earth, would you follow me?
There's a world that was meant for our eyes to see"

Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron

Today was my mother's birthday (I know, I know, lots of birthdays this days of the year) ao I wanted to make something special too, as what I did for my sister, see here "Dec 10: Have a Merry Bithday" but as you know, I did not have time, well, yep, I did have like half an hour, but after that meant I did not have time to print it nor anything like I did last time, so I had to hold on, and just give her, her presents.

Anyway, here's a little Christmas Ball for you, I know it's just a simple sketch, but I guess that one of the best presents I can give my mother is to spend time with her (I hope I'm good for that!) so here I leave you a little merry present and I promise you tomorrow I'll do something more.

Actually, I've been thinking about this all day, and I think that, if I have enough time and know how, I'll bring you a nice little suprise! :)

Dec 18: Magic Cold Lights

"We'll make it through.."

I am really sorry and ashamed I couldn't do yesterday's drawing. I really had no time, I had work to do and I spend all day with it. I didn't even had time to sketch anything or even hold a pencil! That made me really sad. And what made me sadder was knowing that I couldn't do much the next day either. Anyway, here it is, a little sketch trying to make you feel what I feel when I see some little Christmas lights up and glowing in the dark of the cold night.

Ps.(I'm about to post today's drawing.)

Dec 17: A Christmas Surprise

I think we will be made clean like the snow
I think we will become new like the snow..

Snow - The Innocence Mission

I'm pretty busy this days, not to say it's the last week before the Holidays break and I have to do so many thinks for Univeristy.. so so many. I don't even know how I took time to made this, tomorrow I'll have to pay the price for this. 

But I'm not complaining, I just love drawing, I love it so much that I don't care if I have to find time out of nowhere to do it. The only thing that makes me sad is not being able to spend as much time as I would like to with them. (This one a day thing is getting me a little mad, but I'm still keeping this on!)

Hope you're ejoying this last days before the break, and that you are lucky and got to see the snow, or will soon. And if you do, think of a girl who'll have to spend her Holidays studying and most probably, there will be no snow outside to bright her heart. But maybe, if I wish stong enough, then.. maybe..

Dec 16: Decorating the Tree

And though I try to tell you that I need you
Here I am without you
I feel so lost but what can I do?
'Cause I know this love seems real
But I don't know how to feel(...)

So change your mind
And say you're mine

Don't leave tonight, Stay.

Stay - Hurts

There's so much love this days. And I was wondering how much love can you feel when you're decorating your Christmas tree so when your loved ones see it, it cheers them up. 

And maybe I'm wrong, but I feel that, when you're doing something for someone you love, you can't help yourself and you give it all that you have, and you do it so tenderly and with so much love. Even the most trivial things can be done with so much love, such as making a sandwitch for someone or hanging up some Christmas balls..

Dec 15: Someone's hanging the Christmas lights

Forest critters have their Christmas too. And they sure do enjoy it! So if you happen to be walking through the forest and see some lovely little Christmas lights hanging from a tree, you'll know that's the work of some little squirrels, or maybe a fox, or a big bear, who knows who's behind that! (Maybe they work all together, that'd be nice).

I've been listening all along Church Library Christmas album, which you can find in Holiday Records. It's really wonderful, and will put you in a nice, little and sweet Christmas feeling! Also I was listening to Les Bicyclettes de Belsize Christmas album which I did the artwork for. (You might remember it from some posts before :) ) Oh! And a little bit of the Innocence Mission Christmas ones. 

It's like one of the best way to put you into a Christmas mood :)

Hope you're enjoying your days.

Dec 14: Love That Boy

I love that boy and he is my friend.

I see him going down the long hall.

I love that boy and he is my friend.

I wave to him from very far off.

He goes uphill,

I wish that I could follow after him.

He goes uphill.

Please let him be safe there, across the way.

I love that boy, I say.

I love him all the day.

Love That Boy - The Innocence Mission

It's an Innocence Mission christmas kind of day..

Dec 13: The Snow Queen

She's beautifully scary. You might feel both, captivation by her beauty and the biggest of fears as she walks towards you.

I was feeling like drawing something more into the magic side of life today, and I started drawing her. I liked the idea that, while she walks her hair turns into snow and freezing air. Maybe that's one of the reasons you start trembling when she's close!

Have a merry freezing day! I hope you see lots of snow, and you feel the cold air in your checks, and that you look up in the night sky and the starts are so beautifully gleaming in the night. Then maybe you'll go walking into the white mountains and you'll spot a white light, just for one second, just for one moment, and suddently everything will be so cold. You'll know, then for sure, that the Snow Queen is there, somewhere close to you. Maybe she just wants a nice chat, but beware!

ps. I wanted to point out the fact that I used a "snowflake brush" to paint it all. It started with a joke and it ended up beeing wuite smoothie and working pretty well, so.. The Snow Queen is done out of snowflakes, and I think that's quite significant, isn't it?

Dec 12: Frozen Moon

There's something in your eyes, there's something I can see.

You've got a dark side no one is allowed to see.

Always lonesome in your eyes, 

the eyes of a lonely child.

I wish there was something I could do.

But all I do is ask the frozen moon to shine where you are

and tell you that  I am here, thinking of you.

Frozen Moon  (by Tona)

I'm really, really late for this one, but still on time. This one, though it is part of this Advent Calendar, has been done to be the cover of a Christmas special and wonderful album. So it's finally done, and it really took me so long to finish this one. 

I'd like to say so many things about it, but I feel that none feels as alright as that little text I've posted before, it's Christmas, it's Winter, the nights are beautifully cold, the stars shine brighter than ever, the cold gets through you and somehow makes you sad, but there are always some little electric lights slightly glimmering through the blue of the night, the blue of your heart, bringing that bit of joy.

Goodnight everyone, happy enchanted 12/12/12.

Dec 11: A New Christmas ID

So today I worked in this (and some other stuff I'm not posting here) and my time runned out, so please, accept my little Christmas ID as part of this Advent Calendar, it's still a Christmas drawing, right?

My hair is pretty grown now!

(btw, you noticed this last two posts are me and my sister, and how blonde is she compared with me? yep.. we're still sisters but she's a beauty blonde lady and I'm this something monkey. Don't get me wrong, I love monkeys!)

Dec 10: Have A Merry Birthday

Today is my sister's birthday and so, I did this for her, actually, I made a whole postcard because she's so amazing and she's really, really wonderful, and I am so, so happy to have her as my sister. 

She's my sister, but she's also a really, really good friend of mine. We spend such good times together just doing weird things (that I think no one else would understand but us). And she always makes me really happy. SHE MAKES ME HAPPY and cheers up my days. I am so glad and I don't think I could ask anything else.

So happy, happy birthday to you, Andi, I love you so, so much :)

here's a photo of how it looked like!

         ¡HAPPY BIRTHDAAAY!

Dec 9: It's snowing outside!

.. and that cheers me up.

It would, if it was really snowing here, but it isn't. I hope I'll get to see snow this year, if only a little. 

I just wanted to point out that I did not get my cup of hot chocolate, yet, but instead eat a little bit of a chocolate bar, which is, indeed, pretty good.

As you might see, I'm a lot better than I've been this last days! but now I have a lot of work to do, to catch up what I haven't done this last days.  I'm almost done with it, but not yet.

Anyway, if it's snowing where you are, I hope you're really enjoying it and, if you go oustide to play in the snow you know Jack Frost will nip at your nose!

Dec 8: The tree in the mountains

I'm sorry, I still don't feel alright (I'm kind of tired and I don't know why), and I must confess today I might not be in the perfect mood for Christmas, I'm so sorry, but even though I was not in a mood to draw much Christmas stuff I could get this out of me.

Hope tomorrow everything's better. Now I have to finish other drawings, other stuff to do.. I just wish I could feel better by the end of today.

Hope you're having a wonderful day, though. And that you're enjoying the Christmas lights!

Dec 7: A Cup of Hot Chocolate

.. that's all I need right now. Among all the coffee and tea everyone has, I need a simple cup of hot chocolate. Just tell me how I could reach it, because I don't know anymore. I tried and I feel so tired..

Also, I feel sick. Really sick. I think  I'll go to sleep earlier today (and that means like 10pm or smth like that, which is really early for me)

I got planned so many things, so many drawings, but I don't feel like drawing, I don't feel like much but listening to some old album I used to listen some years ago and just bring back memories and cry and cry...

.. and wish there's hot chocolate for me.

Dec 6: Drawing by the Tree

I'm sorry, I did not have much time today to do anything I got planned to do. I just worked traditionally so... 

Actually, I did everything I had to do, but in fact, did not finish one thing.

I spend today decorating everything for Christmas and I did had much fun with it! Hope you had a great time too and that you're enjoying the way your home looks now that everything is brighter with some little lights here and there.

I'm gonna be sitting by the tree just listening to christmas music and drawing and drawing.. goodnight.

Dec 5: It's finally Done!

It feels great when you finish your snowman, and you sit on the snow, so cold, but in a way, so warm, and just stay there, looking at what you've done. It's wearing your warm clothes and it's smiling at you, and, at the very first moment you think of a name, it becomes he.

I've always enjoyed doing snowmans, but it doesn't really snow here (just like once in a few years) and when it does, it's never much, so you don't have much snow to work with, and I've never ever done one which was taller than my hips, but I loved them anyway. And they were always there till the snow melted away..

The name of this piece has two meanings, as you can probably guess by "when" I'm posting this (11:30 pm, aprox). I've struggled hard today to get something done, but finally I'm happy about what I ended up with. It's cold and it's snowy!

ps. Tomorrow I'll hang up my Christmas decorations... can't wait!

Dec 4: Gleaming in the Night

I feel that somehow, magic is so alive when Christmas time comes, as if every little piece of earth was filled with magic, and that's so wonderful!

I saw Rise of the Guardians yesterday, and all I have to say is keep believing! There are great things waiting for you out there, and I don't even know how or when, but if you believe things will turn to be wonderful, then, somehow, they will. 

Magic is waiting for you, so walk with your heart open this days, it's gonna make you good, everything turns to be wonderfully magic this time of year, and I can't help myself but saying wonderful and magic all the time, because that's the way I feel it, and as I'm writing this I swear you my heart is beating faster and faster.

Look at the little Christmas lights out there, can you feel it?