Paints

I keep a small bashed-up tin of water colours and three brushes in my rucksack, plus a collapsible silicon fairy cake mould for water and a pad of cold press water colour postcards.

I top up the Paynes Grey half pan the most, followed by Winsor Yellow. But I’ve never painted wasps. Each colour has to earn its place, Winsor Violet Dioxazine is at risk of going out right now, not sure why I can’t just mix a red and blue. I have whittled down the colours from the original set of twenty four to make things simple and keep a discipline, I’m down to nine.

A Scottish sunny sky usually has two blues, Winsor Blue at the horizon and Manganese at the zenith. I’ve never found a perfect green, I use Olive but it never feels right without some yellow in the wash.

I love Raw Sienna, my second favourite after Paynes Grey, it’s great for a hint of malevolence in a winter sky. The last two are intense and you need a delicate touch, they hardly ever need topping up, Cadmium Red and Indian Red (brown).

In our loft I once found a collection of my Grandad’s water colour half-pans wrapped in cellophane, I thought I had discovered a secret stash of grown-up sweets. I remember I wasn’t too disappointed in discovering colours not fondant set in porcelain trays and I still get a buzz being handed a white paper bag with a few of the most expensive hand wrapped sweets (paints) with poetic French descriptions.

The too-beautiful-to-use water mixing jar is by Jo Walker Ceramics, she’s on facebook and instagram, thanks Jo.

Also don’t leave your brush in the water like that.