Sitting Ducks at the Portrait Gallery

Hold on for a ton of pictures, Gail and I went to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, for John Byrne's new exhibition, Sitting Ducks. I have seen some of his work before in featured in What do Artists do all Day, the series and a bit in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Galsgow that Hayley and I went to in the Spring. Anyway, I really liked his stuff and wanted to check out more of it. So it was a lovely day yto be in the Galleries, its a bit grey and muggy out, so I had a brilliant day out with Gail, with some tea and scones after a bit of shopping. So I am pretty tuckered out now, what with my wee cold, so enjoy.

 I haven't really been to the Portrait Gallery too much before and the main body of the building is gorgeous so be prepared as you scroll past a few of John Byrne's paintings to be drowned in a lot of those.

I really tried to get a good photo/video of this next bit, but it is only ok, its Mary Queen of Scots and a skull, depending on where you view it from.

Neil Gaiman at Usher Hall

I found out a month or so ago, that Neil Gaiman was coming to Edinburgh, to read a story, and I knew I would regret it if I didn't go. See Neil Gaiman came to the Edinburgh Fringe two years ago, and I didn't go, because no one I knew over here knew who he was and they didn't want to spend that kind of money on someone they didn't know.  I should have gone by myself, but I am a bit of a shitebag, and didn't, so this time around, I asked Dixon. I know still a shitebag, I probably could have gone alone, but he was really nice  and agreed to go with me.

It was one of the best things I have ever been too, he not only read the short story without a break but performed two songs in which he sang and read two other short stories. Both of which are brilliant, one for the amazing Ray Bradbury, The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury, and the other for the series of short stories he did monthly, and this was Octobers. you can download a pdf of them from here. And the amazing FourPlay String Quartet played throughout, with the fantastic illustraions from Eddie Campbell shown on the big screen for The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains, which were perfect for the tone.

And it was such a nice warm night when it was over as well, Dixon and I walked home! It was a brilliant day all around.

I was a little bit proud of how my hair came out.

The beautiful Usher Hall

And the beautiful walk home.

So if this ever makes it to Neil Gaiman, I want to say thank you for an amazing night and thank you for all of your stories.