Nicola here, sitting looking out on a wet and windy January morning and envying Wench Anne the 
warmth and sunshine of a Southern Hemisphere summer! We’re continuing our “12 Days of Christmas” series of posts on our favourite things.
One of my favourite things in the New Year is to get out and walk off the extra pounds I have put on with Christmas over-indulgence in food and drink. I’m very lucky that I live in such a beautiful part of the UK and have so many places on my doorstep where I can go walking.
A few years ago I discovered an artist who painted the countryside around where I live. He is Eric
Ravilious and he was born in 1903. He began his career painting murals and also designed for Wedgwood china. The countryside of the chalk down land inspired some of his most famous paintings. He was the official War Artist in World War II and a Captain in the Royal Marines. Sadly he was killed on a RAF air sea rescue mission in 1942 aged only 39.
I can’t afford original Ravilious paintings, which sell for tens of thousands of pounds, but I am collecting his prints, so it was a huge pleasure to receive this picture as a Christmas present. It is a painting of the Uffington White Horse, a Bronze Age carving on the hillside above my house. I also have a miniature picture 
by Ravilious of Buscot Park, a Georgian mansion a few miles away. I hope to collect many more of his prints and at the same time enjoy one of my favourite things – walking on the hills that also inspired such a wonderful artist.
Do you have a favourite place that you visit at the start of the year, or a favourite picture that inspires you?
Very best wishes for 2012 and a happy and inspiring year!
Your post was lovely and the prints are fascinating. I do have a photo of a beach scene which I enjoy seeing at this time of year since summer is my favorite season and I miss the beach very much.
Posted by: ruth | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 05:35 AM
Happy New Year Nicola! I didn't overindulge too much this holiday season (was sick), the walking sounds good. The prints by Ravilious are quite good.
Posted by: Maria D. | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 07:10 AM
Happy New Year to you, Nicola, and to all the Wenches.
I love Eric Ravilious's paintings - they are so evocative, not only of the English countryside but also of everyday life between the wars.
Posted by: Elizabeth Hawksley | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 08:54 AM
Hello Ruth! As I sit here on a stormy winter evening a picture of a beautiful beach scene sounds extremely appealing!
Happy New Year, Maria! I'm so sorry to hear you were ill over the Christmas/New Year period. That happened to me last year and quite takes the pleasure out of the whole season. I hope you are much better now.
Posted by: Nicola Cornick | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 09:05 AM
A very Happy New Year to you too, Elizabeth. I'm glad you are a fellow Ravilious fan. I recently found some prints of his of market scenes. I had never seen anything other than his countryside and country house prints before and it was fascinating to see his take on a different topic.
Posted by: Nicola Cornick | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 09:07 AM
I'd never heard of Ravilious but liked the prints you included. Elizabeth is correct, they are very evocative.
Since you live near the Uffington White Horse, have you read Rosemary Sutcliff's "Sun Horse, Moon Horse"? I cried at the end, but it's well worth the tears.
Wishing all a peaceful and prosperous 2012 full of good books.
Posted by: Susan/DC | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 09:27 AM
I love Rosemary Sutcliff's books, Susan, and they frequently make me cry but I agree it's worth it! I must get Sun Horse Moon Horse out again. It's years since I read it.
Posted by: Nicola Cornick | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Men in kilts usually do the trick. ...
Actually, I love pictures of forests, trees, Ireland and the Highlands.
Posted by: LilMissMolly | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 04:25 PM
I live in the middle of five acres of woods so anywhere I walk is different and evocative on any given day. One of my favorite places to walk was in the little village where I lived Germany. There was a lovely walking path along the river between Germany and Austria and I walked it every day. I have some lovely photos of the various views on the path and almost every day a pair of swans swam across the river to meet me as I always had a bag of day old bread with me! I should post some of those photos on Facebook as they are really quite pretty.
And I will for those prints, Nicola. They really are gorgeous and thought-provoking.
Posted by: LouisaCornell | Tuesday, January 03, 2012 at 06:15 PM
Hi Nicola
i don't go anywhere at the start of year but i love hawaii, really want to go there someday ;)
Posted by: eli yanti | Wednesday, January 04, 2012 at 04:11 AM
LOL, LilMissMolly! Yes, I agree Scottish pictures can be very inspiring!
Eli, I would love to go to Hawaii too. Great choice!
Louisa, please do post up those photos. Your walk sounds beautiful. Glad you like the Ravilious prints. Thank you!
Posted by: Nicola Cornick | Wednesday, January 04, 2012 at 05:24 AM
Happy New year to you, Nicola.
When you wrote this, the heat you envied here was 40C (104 F) and nothing to envy. But today it's lovely and sunny with a cool, delightful breeze and I'd be very happy to share it with you all. So I'm sending you some of our warmth and sunshine.
All the best
anne
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, January 04, 2012 at 04:53 PM
That sounds lovely, Anne! We could certainly do with some nice warm weather here today. There is a storm force gale blowing and the roads are flooded. I don't mind winter in the UK as long as it is cold and crisp but this is a bit wild!
Posted by: Nicola Cornick | Thursday, January 05, 2012 at 12:28 AM