Mixing reds

A quiet day of pausing between moments. Tried to sleep in but confounded by the cats in their enthusiasm for the return of another feeder and tickler; truth be told I find it hard to sleep late nowadays, I feel there is so much to be done.

After Portsmouth there was a feeling of homecoming especially heading into town for paint and shopping treats; Edinburgh is most lovely in the sun and today smiled on us with those awesome big clouds too. Found ourselves a forgotten gift token for HMV and one for WH Smith, as you do, so oot we scooted to find some new music, movies and books - all for free! Surely the definition of happiness in our budget times... Filmwise I am happy to have found 'I've Loved you so long', as a big Kirsten Scott Thomas fan and Francophile it has long been on my list; also Angel Heart, one I missed out on first time around, and Gomorrah, whose posters I kept seeing in the far east; I'd love to read the book of that one too and have high hopes for the film. Watched Angel Heart tonight and ogled the beautifully set up cinematography and sense of composition; most of the shots in the film could have been used as stand-alone photographs in a pretty hot coffee table book. Picking up patterns in my brain too for use in print; a great source for design - I love picking up little pieces of pattern to use in paintings.

Music wise our new additions are Hold Steady - team point for use of the words 'sequestered' and 'subpoenaed' in a song (and teaching me, temporarily how to spell them); The Avett Brothers, which I know is set to be a big fave and painting soundtrack, and Rufus Wainwright, who I have been meaning to get into for ages. Saw Martha in concert last year so it is only right and proper that I give her brother a listen; from first hearing I think we did a good bit of choosing today. Last we spent our Smiths voucher on inspiration and dreams; a guide to the French Riviera, where we are planning a trip next year sometime - probably our first treat once our year of poverty has eased. I am sure we will still be on a tight budget though as this has changed both of our ways of thinking about money already, its value and a desire not to be wasteful or indulgent.

Bought just one tube of paint today, cadmium red light hue; hope I get on with it okay as it's more for mixing into pinky reds and oranges. I thought the 'hue' would be better than the straight pigment, so I hope I'm right.

Caught a good exhibition on its penultimate day in the new Henderson Gallery, owned by the legendary Hendersons vegetarian restaurant; it is a lovely space on the first floor at the back of Thistle Street and the guy exhibiting is a wildlife watercolourist of some major talent - Darren Woodhead. I have always followed and loved wildlife art and my favourite kind is that practised by Darren; 'real' painting out in the field with no studio touch-ups or composition. All of his pictures are so natural and skillful without being posed or strained- the brushstrokes and colours are amazing and spontaneous and the finished

pieces have that quality of movement and life that gets lost in translation from sketch book to canvas so easily. He's local to here too, only over in Haddington, and the pictures were of the River Esk whose banks I am quite familiar with; once worked for a lady with an amazing house on the banks which had an awesome garden.

Off to be a painting anorak and study my newly aquired Liquitex colour chart. Good to be home and move onto another little chapter.