Effusive Fandom

Did anyone remember my Avengers Biscuits post? If so, you may have guessed I am a bit of a superhero film geek.

This weekend I went to see Iron Man 3, which I really loved. Iron Man (along with Hulk and Wolverine) are my favourite film superheroes. They're difficult, funny, charismatic. They struggle with disturbing pasts and worrying personality changes. In fact, Iron Man isn't really even a superhero, he has no special powers, only a high-tech suit. Also he is played by the amazing Robert Downey Junior, who I have a massive crush on...the film is highly recommended though, even if you don't.

I must admit, this isn't my own art, although I did colour it. Before the film, we popped into Hobbycraft where they offered Superhero colouring, balloons and cakes. I think it was for kids, but I paid 50p to charity for my colouring sheet and here it is.

Lovely Leith Hall

This is Leith Hall, where I have been working on the Big Project previously mentioned. Confusingly, it is not in Leith, it is near Huntly.

The house sits in a lovely parkland, with gorgeous gardens and resembles a small French Chateau.

The oldest parts date from the 1600s, but the side seen here is mostly C19th. The big windows light up the Music Room (formerly Billiard Room) the most beautiful room in the house.

Find out more at the National Trust for Scotland website.http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Leith-Hall-Garden-Estate/

Dearth of Blogging

I apologise for lack of blogging lately.

This is because I am on a massive collections care work project. Clearing out a cupboard on said project I discovered this old edition of the NT magazine with a fabulous housekeeping illustration by one of my watercolour heroes Quentin Blake.

So I thought I'd post it up as this is the kind of thing I've been doing.

Book of April

Book of April, although we have not finished the month yet, such a work of genius it has to be the one.
I chose Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.
Yes, it's very famous, but I hadn't read it before. I always imagined it was depressingly worthy. In fact it is brilliant, poetic and very moving. The descriptions of Brideshead are magical, especially for anyone who loves old houses and the strange and driven characters are gripping and absorbing.
Sometimes it is funny, witty, sometimes unbearably emotional and insightful.
A love story, a ballad to a lost world of beauty, a cynical dissection of the upper class, a book that is hard to put down and hard to forget.