New beginnings

Today marks the end of a month that has mostly felt like an endurance test. Between the bitter cold, two weeks of personal illness and a troubling family situation, I wrapped myself up and hibernated from the world at large.

After the fallout of my redundancy a few months back, I have just started a new job and some freelance writing work has fallen into place. It might be a while away but I can now imagine feeling like the way I felt when I took this picture in Bellagio - sunkissed and carefree.

So much Glee

After the bitingly funny 'Nip/Tuck', Ryan Murphy has outdone himself with what is shaping up to be the campest TV show of all time: 'Glee'.

Feast your eyes on this glorious sequence:



Totally addicted.

Mid-air

Surveillance

After the critical and commercial failure of Jennifer Lynch's debut film 'Boxing Helena' I could understand a studio's apprehension about promoting her sophomore effort.

Judging by the complete lack of promotion - in the UK at least - it is obvious that few Execs even watched 'Surveillance', because they would have been blind not to see the diamond in their midst.

The film's two FBI-Agent leads are played by Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond, who has flown a little under the radar since her 90s big-screen debut. Having seen her play Elsa in David Hare's 'My Zinc Bed' at the Royal Court Theatre back in 2000, she's not aged a day.

The Agents arrive in a small town to investigate a double murder. There are three witnesses whose versions of the events don't quite match up and the story unfolds from all points of view.

Its unconventional narrative is well shot and tightly edited with scenes of shocking violence and black humour in equal measure. Every role is well played but for me Ormond is an absolute knockout. Surveillance took my breath away and I can't wait to watch it again. I just need to recover for a bit.

Australia Day

For many reasons, I wish I was spending this Australia Day with my family in Brisbane.

The fresh scent of this gorgeous eucalypt in Kew Gardens momentarily transports me back to the gauzy, heady and carefree summer days of my childhood.

Henry Moore: upcoming @ The Tate

I was very excited to read about the upcoming Henry Moore exhibition at the Tate. The last time I saw his sculptures on display was at Kew Gardens in the summer of 2007.

I'm hoping that some of the works will be exhibited in the open air - the gardens were the perfect setting.

Don't try to pretend to look surprised

Spring colour palette inspiration...lemon, lavender, cream, strawberry, pistachio, blueberry, pomegranate. Everything's a sorbet and I yearn for every flavour.

Jeff Koons @ The Met

I recently discovered these shots, taken in Summer 2008 when I lived in New York.

These playful works, part of Jeff Koons' Celebration Series, always make me smile, especially on this very grey midwinter's weekend.

Ed Ruscha: 50 years of painting @The Hayward Gallery

I managed to catch the Ed Ruscha exhibition at the Hayward Gallery on the very last day. The exhibition, a retrospective of Ruscha's long career, filled both floors of the Southbank space.

What I enjoyed most was the variety of works curated for this show, harking back to the very early experiments with typeface and semantics through to his fascination with 20th Century architecture and landscape. The common thread in his works is a pure American aesthetic felt not only in the Pop Art movement but in today's graphic design and print publishing arena.

My favourite works were the Silhouette series where he learnt new spray painting techniques to create a melancholy and moody mid-western landscape.

Always evolving and ever interesting, I left the gallery invigorated and challenged and wanting to see even more of Ruscha's work.

(Image source: edruscha.com)

Grey Gardens

The combined effect of inches of snow and a horrible flu left me in a nesting mood today and wanting some comfort tv.

So I nestled under the duvet to watch 'Grey Gardens' with cat (just the one mind) to keep me company. A cult classic, from the same team who directed 'Gimme Shelter', the documentary features the Beales - Big Edie and Little Edie - Aunt and Cousin to Jackie Kennedy. Living in their now-rundown Hamptons mansion, it is an insight into their loving but highly dysfunctional relationship. Little Edie's unconventional signature style of headscarfs, brooches, underwear as outerwear and huge fur coats has influenced many a fashionista.

As I watched the bickering mother and daughter, often talking over each other with memorable quotes ("My body is a very precious place. It's concentrated ground.") I was reminded of another mother and daughter duo: Kath and Kim Day from the classic Australian series 'Kath and Kim'.

A well-observed black comedy with a constant source of quotable one liners makes this classic television that stands up to repeat viewing. If you've ever heard Kath chastise Kim with a stern 'Kimmy, look at me", you know what I mean.

Talyllyn railway

Dyfi River estuary

Cefn Llecoediog

Over