Merry Christmas! Nollaig Shona Dhuit! Joyeux Noël! Fröhliche Weihnachten! Buon Natale! and I apologise now if I haven’t covered your language, but I have exhausted my linguist knowledge right there. I wish each and everyone of you a tremendous day and that your world is full of happiness and glee.
I have chosen the iconic Santa ( you don’t know how many times I have typed Satan), and is reindeer today in a painting by William Holbrook Beard. Flying through the sky on his magical sleigh, pulled by his reindeer.
Beard was an American artist, best known for his satirical art work of animals, usually with some form of human occupation, his sense of humour shone through this work, giving a satirical insight to the life of the time.
What I really love about this painting is the sky. The smudgy clouds with the light of the moon behind them, giving the impression of a cold December night. Santa working his hardest to deliver a toy to each child as he flings them down the chimney. I know not quite the image we are all used to, of Santa popping in, via his rooftop entrance, leaving all the soot all over your living room floor and eating your cookies, but I do feel poor old Santa gets a hard deal, so I am all in favour for him working smarter not harder.
The techniques and pallet used in this painting, really give the audience the feel for that what is happening, the eye being drawn to the direction that the reindeer travel in, giving that bit of light I love so much, the credit it deserves.
A short and sweet post today, as I am sure, that you all have, as I do, food to be eating, gin to be drinking and merriment to be had.
May your Christmas be merry and light and please share this post as a little gift to WidowCranky.
Widowcranky 
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