Red roof...

As a result of the recent email advising us of the coming rise in costs of our energy bills, David has re-set all the timers for the heating, hot water and lights.  Fine.  Only he hadn't factored in the fact the hot water will have to be on for longer when we have friends staying over or the last person to get showered (in this case me!) will have a very refreshing shower indeed!  Still, it stopped me loitering!  

We enjoyed a late-ish, leisurely brunch with Agnes and Adrian that lingered over more coffee, and chat about our week away in Northumberland in December (we all agreed it will be here in no time!) and our God-daughter Emily's wedding next year (Agnes and Adrian's daughter)  

We were talking about the cost of a wedding and David made us all laugh by guessing the cost of a wedding at £5k!  Where has he been living for the last 30 years?!!!  

Emily is having a small, intimate wedding with a modest package of flowers, cake, a band, and photographer.  No grand theme, no fancy gimmicks, just the focus on her and Sam making a life time commitment to each other in front of family and friends (around 70 people) and the cost of the venue alone is £8k!!  Staggering.  I think if I was getting married now, I would elope!  

After they left, David's cold caught up with him and he and Lola snuggled on the sofa watching Columbo.  I took myself off to the study to finally get started on the painting I've been promising a blip pal since Christmas (I did make a start previously but had a disaster, then wasn't happy with my second attempt)  I was hoping third time lucky.

I was chatting to an artist on Instagram last week about facing the blank piece of paper and she told me that before she starts any new painting, she does a "silly" painting first.  Silly in the sense it's just for fun, has no real purpose or great thought behind it, she just paints whatever takes her fancy.  No pressure. 

Sometimes it's an abstract where she just plays with paint and watches it flow and mix randomly, sometimes she paints shapes or monsters for a children's book, or line and wash studies, flowers....anything that takes her mind off her "real" painting, gets her hands loosened, the paint flowing and her head in the zone.

I decided to give it a go and do you know what? It works!  

Faced with two blank pieces of paper I picked up a pen and quickly sketched a wonky little house on a road to nowhere, paint was added (flat washes and spatters :-)) and finally some more pen work.  By the time I had completed this I was raring to get started on the "real" painting and I am happy to say I got it done!  

Left it to dry and all being well I will get it mounted tomorrow and hopefully posted off on Tuesday.  I have sent the new owner a brief glimpse of the painting and he is happy with what he's seen so far, so that's a relief!  


Over the last few weeks I have taken to listening to classical music whilst painting.  I know absolutely nothing about classical music so have been listening to playlists of different pieces, rather than complete symphonies, and been enjoying it immensely. 

During my time listening - I say listening but the music washes over me like warm water, providing a lush background noise - there have been a few times where the music has made me stop and listen, and it happened a number of times this afternoon.

As I finished painting, a particularly mesmerising piece of music was playing. I closed my eyes and completely lost myself in the beauty of it. When it ended I looked at my phone and saw it was
Cinderella Suite No3, OP. 109: I Pavane by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, from his ballet Cinderella.  

I checked the other pieces that had caught my attention today and they were all from Prokofiev's ballet.  Then I noticed the orchestra playing the pieces was the Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra (now known as the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine)

A Russian composer creating the most exquisite music, a Ukrainian orchestra bringing it to life.  I am not ashamed to say I was moved to tears by the beautiful music, but mainly by the futility of war.