23 December 2012

Merry X-mas to you all!

Holiday are here, and I have been slacking off just a little these two days. Have been refurnishing our studio room a little as well. As we say in Sweden; variety is a delight. So now I will bring in the new year with a new and inspiring work space!
Pictures might come later...

Here's something else for you!

This is two Swedish traditional figures:

Swedish "julbock" (= Christmas goat)
This is a traditional Swedish Christmas decoration, a goat made of straw. It's origin is debated. In old times, young people used to go around the farms singing Christmas carrols and "goat songs" and one was dressed as a goat with a mask made of straw. Back in those times, people often sacrificed of a goat around Christmas, and a man dressed as a goat with a mask used to act as Santa Claus today, bringing gifts for the children.
Usually the straw goats are about 50 cm tall at the most, but the biggest one is in Gävle at 13 meters height. Sadly, it usually don't survive Christmas, as the towns people have put into tradition to burn it (illegally) before December is over.

Lucia
The girl is dressed as Lucia, an Italian saint that are celebrated in Sweden on the 13th of December. Don't ask me why, it's practically unrelated. The Swedish Lucia-tradition is a celebration of light, as this is the darkest time of the year in Sweden. Usually all schools and town halls have their own "Lucia train" where young people dressed in white follow the Lucia, everybody holding lit candles in their hands. Lucia on the other hand has a crown of lit candles, often dripping stearine in her hair. Ouch.

I made the lineart and my dear sister Catarina colored it with Copic markers. She's just awesome at Copic!! (Look at those shades!!!)


Hope you all will have a nice holiday time and see you again around New Years Eve, when I  as usual make my New Years resolution and go over the milestones of my works during 2012.

Oh, and don't forget about Nosebleed Studio's December Sale!



Our anthologies Seaside Stories and 5 Years Jubilee Anthology are both 10% off, and also the Deluxe Set is on sale!
~*~*~*~ Happy Holiday Everyone! ~*~*~*~

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