Drawcember: Week 3

On the Half Shell

Can you believe Christmas is only four days away? The last two months of 2024 have gone by so quickly. This year more than any in recent memory, I’m reminded of the fragility and fleetingness of all that we love.

Some of my dear friends are battling life-threatening illnesses and others are on the verge of divorce. Two of my friends are expecting their first child any day now, and one has recently reconciled with hers.

A Titanic friendship

At a recent Christmas party with a group of dear friends and ex-coworkers, I spoke with one of my favorite former bosses. He told me his wife is suffering from dementia and, at 80, he doesn’t think he has many Christmases left. I fought back tears as he asked me wistfully, “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

And we absolutely did! He was one of my bosses at a small real estate office where I worked from 2004-2008. In that time, we bonded over our shared love of history, true crime, politics and absurd humor. He recommended The Office (UK), which became one of my favorite shows of all time, and Simon Winchester’s The Professor and the Madman.

Sometimes, I would eat lunch in his office and we would chat about books and current events. He would jump up to point out landmarks on the world map behind his desk, showing me how far Napoleon’s army invaded into Russia before starvation and cold drove them back.

One year, I bought him a book about The Titanic for Christmas. It turned out he already had it, but it was his favorite book about The Titanic. “In fact,” he announced, swinging one leg up to rest his foot on the edge of my desk and tugging his pant leg up to expose his shin, “I got this bruise this morning, from the edge of this very book, which is sticking out from the bottom shelf of my bookcase!”

Only Chris could turn a failed gift into a great story in such a colorful way. I exchanged the book and got him one about the Hindenburg, which we pored over together over coffee later that afternoon.

I’ve attended their office Christmas parties every year since I worked there, and it’s always one of the highlights of my year.

This year, Chris asked me if I’d read any good books lately, and I told him about Fire Weather by John Valliant, the best book I read all year.

No time like the present

I wrote at length about my friend Charlene after her suicide, and about my high school friend Janice, whose suicide was more likely a careless cry for help. I wrote about another friend who I only came to appreciate after her untimely death in a car accident, when I realized it was too late to ever make up for how poorly I had treated her.

I’m sharing these memories about my dear friend Chris now because I don’t want to wait to write another eulogy. If the ups and downs in all my friends’ lives this year have taught me one thing, it’s not to wait to tell people how much they mean to you.

But wait, it’s also Drawcember…

Okay, feelings of existential dread and heart overflowing with love aside, it was a great week for drawing! These were mostly inspired by the great burlesque dancers at the VBC December Student Showcase at the Rio Theatre (vancouverburlesqueco).

Except for the first one…

Day 15. Vamp

Yes, the inspiration for this one was yours truly, from an epic Halloween costume many, many years ago. What a great picture… that’s my friend Bert looking disinterested yet angelic, in a 1950s bad boy kind of way. My partner, Rodger, dressed in drag that year with two-inch long press-on nails and an enormous stuffed bra. Good times.

Over the years, I think I probably dressed as a “sexy vampire” more than any other costume (it’s just so easy and fun!) but that was the only year I actually wore glued-on fangs. They look amazing but they make it impossible to eat, dangerous to kiss and a huge challenge to drink without drooling… So hot!

Day 16. Bubble Gunslinger

This drawing was inspired by an excellent burlesque performer named Miss Fanny Pack, who you can find on Instagram at Miss.Fanny.Pack. I didn’t know how it would work to draw a shit ton of iridescent bubbles against a dark background, but I think it turned out pretty well.

The next couple of drawings were also inspired by the same performance, sans bubbles. Photo credits: KelliRP

Day 17. On the Rocks

The lighting was a challenge on this one, but that’s one thing I can do better with colored pencils than pens, at this point anyway. I look forward to experimenting in the new year with a set of blendable colored pens gifted to me by my dear podcast partner, Alison Price of Starzology.

Day 19. Snow Storm

Another one inspired by Miss Fanny Pack’s performance, just before the bubbles. Photo credit: KelliRP.

Day 20. On the Half Shell

My final (and possibly favorite) drawing this week was inspired by the mermaid influencer @charity.grace, who regularly posts amazing underwater and water-adjacent videos as well as inspiring costume tutorials and photos of mermaid style jewelry she designs.

People are so fucking creative. What an insane time it is to be alive. I feel so grateful.

And on that note, I’ll wish all of you a very merry Christmas or whatever holiday you’re celebrating this week. If you’re still looking for the perfect gift, my 2025 Badass Goddesses calendars are still available and now that the postal strike is over, you can order now and have it delivered to your door!

I’ve also added a whole bunch more designs to my RedBubble shop, so please check that out for Badass Goddess prints, coasters, clothing, notebooks, phone cases and much more…

And you can get all my Badass Goddesses along with their stories in paperback, hard cover or digital format.