The first pass at A Christmas Carol poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater had Scrooge lifting Tiny Tim. I have been painting Christmas Carol posters for about 4 or 5 years, so I have quite a bit of reference piled up on my hard drive. On this pass, I decided that having Tiny Tim lifting his crutch was not needed. I originally had the title smaller so the crutch could be seen, then I enlarged the title knowing I would be changing the pose.
Bob Cratchit’s wife was cast so I needed to go in and repaint her. Tiny Tim was also would need to be repainted. I used a past actor for Bob Cratchit and there was doubt that he would reprise the role so he too would need to be changed.
Being a bald artist, I then felt uncomfortable that Scrooge was out in the snow with no hat. I needed to put a top hat on his head. I know that with no hat, the heat from a body will escape quickly upwards like a chimney if you are bald. That is part of the reason I am still in Florida.
Many of the elements are similar to past Christmas Carol posters. The snow had just started falling and the gas lamps are blazing. Warm light emanated from inside a window hinting at a warm fireplace. This composition relies on a strong diagonal line from Tiny Tim down to this mom. The painting is super sloppy since I know that changes are needing to be made.
Christmas Carol ran from November 26 through December 24, 2025, at the Orlando Shakes, Margeson Theater.