What I'd like for Christmas ..

A plaster cast from the Parthenon Frieze

to go with the hand I bought in a specialist Paris art shop 

and the foot from the Sir John Soane Museum

All images © Rosie West

Skiing for Adults

All images courtesy Christie's catalogue 'The Ski Sale' 2006

Nature Morte

Please look away now if you don't like ex-animals (below).  I painted them  at The Prince's Drawing School  in Shoreditch under the tutelage of Henry Gibbons Guy who  gave them a poignant Chardin style setting in the changing light of our fourth-floor studio.  

The artists' prey was contributed by the wonderful Delia, one of our fellow students, who brought it from Norfolk via her London deep freeze.  Where a squirrel or a rabbit needed  post mortem first aid, as it were, she would gently bathe it and then blow dry the fur with her hairdryer.  As a gesture towards students who might be squeamish, it was a fine one.Nobody could say that our models didn't look pristine and peaceful.

All images © Rosie West

Oh No - Back In the Saddle Again!

How embarrassing is this?  but my daughter Polly, mother of Lucien (aka Lucky) seemed to think the little chap might enjoy a strangely jolting ride with the odd swerve on the chicanes.  Sad to report, this was the most enthusiasm he mustered; more interested in the fragment of cheese pretzel in my hand when not mystified or alarmed by the experience.  Oh well, looks as though I was enjoying myself and thoroughly relieved that we didn't have to call the AA (that's the automobile breakdown service where I come from).


We were at Winter WonderhellLand in London's Hyde Park on Sunday, jostling pushchairs with a thousand others, high on the aroma of roasting chestnuts, fresh-fried donuts and hot Bavarian sausage.  Oh it was good, really, but not for too long. Lucky and I escaped to the Serpentine lake to feed the water birds and marvel at the way seagulls will take morsels of pink iced bun on the wing. (Not a good day for my diet or theirs for that matter.) Polly braved  the swelling crowd and took her five-year old Storm on various attractions.  Three quid to go down a slide the height of Mont Blanc (not) proves the Eurozone economic crisis hasn't quite hit home yet.  Her pictures of the day at her blog A Caged Bird Sings here.

Great Colour Combos : Vermillion/Cerulean

One of my favourite colour combinations, always connected in my mind to Tri-ang Toys  and anything tin really...

Cerulean (sir-roo-le-on) is a handy word for something that's not quite turquoise, not quite sky blue despite its probable derivation from the Latin caelum = sky. 

Vermillion - something deliciously bright that's not quite scarlet, not really orange.  (I might be stretching it sometimes, I know.)

Other Great Colour Combos here

[Images are leaves from my scrapbook.  Forgive me not attributing them.]

Pony on a Pedestal

My friend Skuggi here learns a circus trick

Tallyho! The Adventures of Little Miss Jodhpurs

My virtual world of horsewomanship ..

All images © Rosie West

Back In The Saddle

 

..  for the first time this century.  But I should not misrepresent myself as a horsewoman, having  been on one barely a dozen times in my rather long life.  The last time was in Australia when a sedate ride on a sweet old nag blind in one eye with shaggy hooves (does that not say cart-horse to you too?)  proved  more exciting than I anticipated.  If it wasn't the fact we were at a 45 degree angle up and down a flipping escarpment, it was the ragdoll moment when she broke into a trot that caused me to smoke two cigarettes at once when I dismounted.

See here, I promise this isn't cruelty to animals.  This adorable non-judgmental Icelandic pony is terrifically sturdy and  able and willing to field twice his body weight of novice.     I  am sure he would have let me potter about the Land of the Midnight Sun on him if I'd asked. Skuggi belongs to my cousin Philippa and whilst somebody lent me a pair of gumboots, she lent me a hat and a lot of expert confidence-building advice.  Can't say I'm not proud of this picture.

Thrust the bust!  I don't know.. probably a bit keen to have a 'good seat'.   I really hate being under-dressed  and always wanted a proper  pair of jodhpurs, boots, hacking jacket, stock, velvet hat.  Hairnet. String-backed leather gloves. Whip or more properly, riding crop.

 
courtesy http://booksandmud.blogspot.com



This is the way to do it

Keen sportswoman, champion United States skier and best-dressed all round good egg Ann Bonfoey Taylor

Her hacking jackets had matching riding hats ohh


These images taken from Fashion Independent : The Original Style of Ann Bonfoey Taylor published by the Phoenix Art Museum to which her exquisite wardrobe has been donated. 




PS  I don't know if anybody is going to read this because I disappeared off the radar so long that I've have fallen off the plot.  

What Are They Looking At?

In Edinburgh today...

Miss Zara Phillips, the Queen's granddaughter, thirteenth in line to the throne and champion equestrian arriving at  Canongate Kirk for her marriage to Mike Tindall, captain of the English Rugby team.

Princesses Eugenie & Beatrice

Now, hands up if you own a pair of 'nude' patent leather  heels  !

After being so rude about  milliner Philip Treacy the other day, I do rather love

The Duchess of Cornwall's hat.

The mother of the bride Princess Anne who has a very individual style.  I have always suspected she's dressed by an upholsterer.  I also happen to think she's a fantastic no-nonsense role model.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex.  Sophie's normally discreet style has been attacked

by aliens.

Amy Williams, apparently a champion skeleton racer.  A what  ..?  Has she just been in an argument with a chicken coop?

A soap star called Katherine Kelly looking just ever so slightly too good to be true

Nathalie Pinkham - scroll down so you can't see that hat because the dress is lovely

Kirsty Gallagher sporting a little green Martian number  with her man who has forgotten to put his photo ID  away.  Yes, you even have to prove you're not a terrorist at royal weddings.

Her Majesty in her chaussures de nos jours

Sir Jackie and Lady Stewart.  I am bored with the shoe gag now but who'd notice hers

next to those cheeky tartan hose? 

The Bride and Groom.  Their kids won't necessarily get that nose - unless they play rugby too.




 Top image courtesy The Guardian and the rest courtesy The Daily Mail