A weathered, kindly Father Christmas stands in a low drift of snow, a plump cream sack of gifts slung over his shoulder. His crimson coat, white fur trim and full beard glow softly against a dark, moody olive-brown background.

The paint is laid on heavily in the manner of a palette-knife oil painting: sculptural ridges of buttery cream in the beard and sack, dragged strokes of grey-blue in the snow, and a scraped, canvas-textured underpainting behind. The mood is hushed, nostalgic and quietly festive, like an old-world Christmas card turned into a gallery piece.