Owen William Weber Illustration

The Nisse's Gift , 17"x11", oil on paper on masonite, 2014. Hello Again, I should have posted this a while ago, seeing as it was my Holiday card this year, and I've had the digital file for some time now.  Sarah and I do a Non-Denominational Winter card every year, and for the past couple years a Nisse has been part of the image.  A Nisse is a little gnome-like creature that is prominent in all Scandinavian cultures in one form or another.  They can also be called Tomte or Tomtenisse.  My family was from Denmark, so to us they are Nisse.  Every household has their own unique Nisse.  They are known to care for the animals of the house and fix various things the family may have overlooked (very courteous these creatures are, right?).  But if they are not given a hot bowl of porridge every year on Christmas Eve (when they are setting the presents under the tree) they will play tricks on the family for the next year.  And even if the famil...

Happy Solstice Everyone! I have been working very hard lately with a couple commissions due before the Holidays, but I thought I'd show you all my Winter Card image this year. Since last year I produced one of my favorite paintings for my Winter Card, I thought I'd bring back the character and show him in another situation.  This year the Nisse is coming into the barn from a very blustery evening.  I always want to instill a feeling of solitude in these Nisse paintings, a love for his role on the farm.  Also, I want these paintings to show a contemporary time period.  The house that he works for could be from numerous decades, but there are little hints of electricity, or in this case, windmills in the background.  Windmills are everywhere in Denmark, and since this is a Danish character, the windmills give a geographical symbol.  They also act as a somewhat political symbol, as I believe that wind is one energy source our world needs to h...

This year I am fully immersed in Danish culture. Sarah and I are talking a Danish language course at NYU, we are reading all about Danes in the Xenophobes guide to Denmark, and we are planning our trip to Denmark next year. So, it only naturally feels like our Yule holiday card should be based on a Danish Christmas folklore. The Nisse is a very small gnome-like character who tends to the farm when the farmers are asleep. But he is also very mischievous if you are not kind to him and he will upset your favorite animal or play tricks on you in the night. He is also know to bring the presents on Christmas Eve. In Denmark, this is a very lovable character and most people decorate their trees or houses with his likeness. The Nisse, 17" x 12", Oil on Paper on Masonite, 2012.