An early touch of Christmas spirit

I KNOW it's a bit early, but Christmas is coming and the nights are drawing in. That's why I'm sketching out ideas for this year's Christmas cards, which will be winging their way to friends all over the world.

This print celebrates the Christmas shopping season and is the latest in my 'snow' series, which try to capture the beauty of winter.

It's a breakthrough for me because I used a small sponge to apply acrylic paint, then felt-tipped some areas before finishing off with my beloved gel pens. In the arty world, this is known as 'mixed media'.

The picture has already got me into the Christmas spirit and I haven't yet been within six feet of the Scotch bottle.

Roll on those roasted parsnips and succulent pigs in blankets, followed by a nip of my wife's delicious blackberry liqueur. Such are the joys of the festive season.