Saturday 20th December - Lovers in a Sleigh

Morning!  According to the news, today is meant to be 'Blind Panic Saturday' in which humans run around shops, cold in the knowledge that (a) they don't know any of their friends or relatives well enough to find the perfect present, or (b) the shops sell nothing!  Nothing! Damn it! Why did I not do all the shopping back in August?! Why would I want a jumper with a pug on it?  Are you mocking me M&S?! ARE YOU?! all to the soundtrack of Mariah Carey, who smugly repeats that all she wants for Christmas is you.  Liar.  She wants a box of Ferrero Rocher at least.  Anyway, I'm avoiding most of the horror by hiding in the dark of a cinema for a large chunk of today, watching the last bit of The Hobbit with my nearest and dearest.  Today's Christmasy tasks have been accomplished already. Cake has been marzipanned and sloe gin has been decanted into bottles.  Bring it on...

Lovers in a Sleigh Alfred von Wierusz Kowalski

This is awfully jolly, isn't it?  Nothing like taking your mind off shopping and stuff with a brisk gallop with a frisky chap.  The Polish artist, Alfred von Wierusz Kowalski, did a line in sleighs.  Que Prokofiev's Troika...

Sleigh Ride!

Sleigh Ride!

I love that idealistic folkness, the deep reds and paisleys of the fabrics, the wonderful curves of the wooden sleighs.  There is a wonderful interplay between the animals and the hard white of the snow, the power of the horses as their hooves carve a pass through the icy landscape.  The dogs are often there too and honestly, if you have to go about in the freezing cold you shouldn't underestimate the heat properties of a dog.  Unless of course you have your lover in there with you...

Ah, how lovely.  There is something eminently classy about rosy-cheeked fondling in the back of a sleigh.  Well, it looks more comfy than a Ford Fiesta and a damn-sight more warm.  Also it has the added bonus of travelling, which means the horse will get you where you are going while you canoodle in the back.  You really can't do that in a Ford Fiesta.  I imagine she's say 'Is that a Toblerone in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me..?'  I'm in two minds whether or not I'd prefer it to be a Toblerone.  Oh dear me, I must be getting old.  Mind you, you also should never underestimate my love of Toblerone.  Okay, so what I want for Christmas is a gentleman who is pleased to see me and has brought me a Toblerone. Gosh, that would be lovely...
Today's pressie is not Toblerone, but something for your walls.  Due to the wonders of the internet and the work of various museums and art galleries, it's now possible to get vast quantities of paintings as high quality prints these days.  Partly due to the photography that was done for the PCF catalogues, museums are able to offer wonderful paintings from their collections to hang in yours.  Mr Walker loves the Russell-Cotes page (which he watches over) and is always telling me what is selling well and what's new.  You too can have the most famous left boob in Pre-Raphaelite art hanging on your wall. Classy.
Most museums have their own Art on Demand sites, located off their home pages but for the sake of family loyalty, the Russell-Cotes one is located here : http://www.russellcotesartshop.co.uk/index.cfm
Can I suggest a print of Maria Virgo by May Cooksey?  Very proper for this time of year.

Buy the beautiful Maria Virgo here. 
See you tomorrow!