They have given some of us new IBM computers with sleek ThinkVision(TM) monitors. The monitor is really cool - all black, flatscreen, for the most part only around 2cms thick and with only a 1cm border around the screen. It sits on two black slanted stilts of adjustable height.

The point is, if you put a nice background on it and if you have no windows open, the background would look like a framed picture sitting on your desk. Which is enough motivation to choose a nice background.

The first thing I put was a scanned image of a photograph of a batik painting of Lord Shiva - more on this painting and the picture itself as soon as I have uploaded it on flickr.

Then suddenly one day inspiration struck and I thought of searching up Van Gough's paintings on the net and found this website. At the moment Starry Night is sitting on my desktop looking absolutely amazing. I have downloaded Vincent's Chair , Cafe Terrace at Night and Sunflowers one and two and I keep switching my background once in a while. I like the first sunflowers the best but the downloaded image doesnt fill the whole desktop like Starry Night does.

The problem with having a great desktop is there is a big temptation to stop whatever you are doing, close all the windows and sit admiring the great painting. I just can't get my eyes off the Sunflowers when I put them up.

The link has other painters too, but I like Van Gough best. Nicely surreal and not at all abstract. Most painters seem to have made (more than one) self-portraits - the first picture on every artist's home page is a self-portrait - and it is interesting to see how they all looked.