MOOD BOARD

 

Another weekend seems to have turned into vapor and slipped through the cracks! The Christmas season and the end of the year approach quickly. Another good weekend at home, after working last week over time, and then my annual pilgrimage to NYC with my ex fellow co-workers. Always great to see them. All three gifts are wrapped, and the halls of the Casa du Borghese were decked. I know, shocking to know I was handling a bunch of balls. Now it's all smooth sailing and relaxing right into New Year with exception to my famer market days to getting the things I need for Christmas day and the Eve dinners. And on Thursday, a long-awaited project got moved up .... new living room windows! A Christmas gift to myself along with a new cashmere sweater. All the windows and doors had been replaced about 9 years ago, but the Mother didn't do the living room one. And it's huge!!! They are 10 feet tall, and I have no idea the width. But I got what I wanted. I originally wanted windows to open out to allow fresh air in, but they didn't make them the height I needed. The ones I got ended up with the same look, but the cool thing is I can slide the two big windows on the ends, in toward the middle window, like sliding glass doors. It will be nice. I love fresh air in the warm months. The last windows from the same company have been excellent on the heating and noise factors, so I know I'll be pleased with these. They were to be installed the day after Christmas...but since everything is in, and received, they called to move it up. I'm fine with that....oh shoot, it means a four-day work week. The next three weeks. Funny how that happened?!?! And we had a dusting of snow last evening, so there was that.

Here's to another Monday! And just for shit and giggles, one of my favorite Christmas ditties. Just makes one feel good I think, and what's not to like about Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass?

MOOD BOARD

I have always enjoyed the art of two artist. I had two of my art books out yesterday, taking a peruse and enjoying the images One was Count Renato Zavagli Ricciardelli della Caminate or professionally known as Rene' Gruau. His art as a fashion illustrator became art in itself whose sketches exaggerated portrayal of fashion design and has had a lasting effect on the fashion industry and have long been a mainstay in my blog sideboard. He was primarily known for his colorful and vivacious portrayals of woman and revolutionized the concept of masculinity in fashion imagery and advertising from the 1950's to the 80's, depicting the modern, casual, confident man, with humor, quirky touches, and sex appeal. Some of his drawing even depicted naked men which was considered racy for the times. Gruau has been associated with the world of fashion and the House of Dior, for which he created some of the most iconic images in the history of fashion. I have several framed reproductions which I had lined in the hallway of the old Casa du Borghese....and of course my other favorite is and will always be Tom of Finland or Touko Valio Laaksonen who is best known for his highly stylized masculinized homoerotic art and for his major influence on the late 20th century gay culture. I see a lot of myself in both artist's works.

Incidentally, this was also the method my swim instructor used on me during classes. 

LEGEND OF A FINNISH ARTIST

 

Touko Valio Laaksonen was born May 8 1920, and tomorrow will be his birthday. He was best known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, a Finnish artist notable for his stylized homoerotic fetish art and his influence on late twentieth century gay culture. He has been called the "most influential creator of gay pornographic images" by cultural historian Joseph W. Slade. Over the course of four decades, he produced some 3500 illustrations, mostly featuring men with exaggerated primary and secondary sex traits with tight or partially removed clothing.

He wasn’t afraid to overcome the prejudice and bigotry against his sexuality back then and instead replaced the fear with art. And God did he let it flow so beautifully with his Marlon Brando lookalike bikers. Touko was born on May 8th, 1920 in Kaarina, Finland, which is very close to Turku. His parents ran a school from their home so he was well-educated, one could say. I remember this funny story I read that one time his fifteen year old sister found one of his erotic drawings and ran away because she got aroused. And she would have every right. I'll be the first to admit when I was a wee gayling, the images had a profound effect. Not only did his drawings have incredible talent and technique to them, but they also were one factor to really wake up my libido, and give me many sexual fantasy's, but finally got me to search out my first encounter.  I would later be attracted to older men, and desiring some of these scenes, but that's another story!

 

He matured into an artist who created more than one masterwork, yet never had any formal art training. Schooled at the piano, self-taught with a pencil. The consummate Homosexual. Happy Birthday Touko!