Advent calendars have become something of a tradition for us. We've been producing them for a number of years now, creating the opportunity to live with an artist's work in the run up to Christmas Day. This year we're introducing four new designs, alongside the welcome return of a firm favourite.
Polly Fern 'A Festive Feast'
A companion piece to last year's Festive Dutch Gable Advent. As Polly puts it: "I wanted to create another historic building, as I pictured them both sitting alongside one another when out on display. The exterior is entirely imagined, yet inspired by follies and local Gothic-style buildings." Inside A Festive Feast, an interior scene cluttered with antiques and decorations, everything arranged around a table laid for a party. Puddings and pies lined up, ready to be served.
Alice Pattullo 'Frost Fayre'
Alice's Advent calendar draws on London's historic Frost Fairs. The Thames froze solid often enough, in centuries past, to become a stage for its own midwinter spectacle, most notably in the winter of 1683–84 and, for the last time, in 1814. Skating, sledging and nine-pin bowling all took place on the ice, alongside stalls selling gingerbread, hot codlins and purl (ale mixed with gin and spices), and — apparently, at least once — an elephant led across the frozen river. Printed ephemera from the fairs provided Alice with lists, illustrations and maps of the different entertainments held there, while also offering a historical reference for the riverside architecture behind them.
Niki Bowers 'Winter Riverside'
Niki trained at Great Yarmouth College of Art and Canterbury College of Art, and after years working as a graphic designer returned to her native Norfolk to focus on printmaking. Her linocuts are known for their trees, hedgerows and wide skies, and the birds moving through them — all to be seen in her Winter Riverside Advent, unfolding window by window through December.
Angie Lewin's Advent Wreath
A first for Angie: a hanging Advent wreath, complete with ribbon. As she explains: "The starting point for the Advent wreath is my linocut 'Larch and Berry'. It's inspired by memories of a favourite hillside walk near our home in north-east Scotland. The stony track climbing through woodland is littered with larch branches, invariably festooned with chalky green lichens." Scarlet rowan berries make a glowing contrast against the dark conifers, while feathers gathered en route are scattered through the circular design. Each of the 25 windows opens onto its own small watercolour, painted specially for the piece. What's behind them, Angie's keeping to herself.
Back by Popular Demand: Emily Sutton's Pantomime
And returning to the range is Emily Sutton's Pantomime Advent calendar. It's a firm favourite that's been asked for frequently. Step into its theatrical world, celebrating Emily's gift for storytelling in three dimensions. Her much-loved die-cut shopfronts and concertina cards draw on the tradition of Victorian toy theatres and vintage illustration, transforming paper into miniature worlds full of charm and detail.
At Art Angels, we've spent over 30 years collaborating with artists to create beautifully made paper goods that celebrate original illustration, printmaking and thoughtful design — each one translating a distinctive visual world into paper form.
Explore our Advent calendar collection →
