I knelt in front of the gravestone, wreath in hand, candles lit.

"Hi, Dad. I just wanted to say, I miss you so much. Christmas isn't going to be the same without you."

It may have been just the whistle of the wind, but I'm sure I heard his voice behind me:

"Don't worry son - I'll always be with you... always."

As I left, my step was lighter, and a small smile sat on my lips. It was going to be a happy Christmas, I was sure.

From the moment this year's theme was announced, I had a very strong image in my mind of what I wanted to do - but boy, did it take some time to get it properly realised!

I decided to go for a non-photorealistic render for this entry, opting for a watercolour look that felt in keeping with the mood of the image.

I have no idea how long I actually spent working on various iterations of this image, but the final offering was rendered in 20 minutes, with no postwork.

Nothing else left to do, except wish everyone here a very happy holiday - whatever festival you personally choose to celebrate!