June 27, 2010 in Current Blog, Family & Friends by Marie

25. Shake Rattle and Roll

This painting is of my brother Matt’s band Clowns of Decadence, they all came from the Northern suburbs of Adelaide South Australia and grew out of the punk genre and became a very well known pub band during the early 80’s and 90’s touring around Australia and also New Zealand.

A very Arty band of course due in part to my brothers influence. The Clowns of Decadence ensemble was large scale which also included fire eaters and other various acts in its repertoire.

Matt was the drummer and in charge of designs of backdrops and album covers and other visual influences, however all the band members were all very creative and talented and they made a fantastic team.

They still have a fan group on Face book all these years later.  So this painting was obviously a lot of fun to create.

This particular night was at the Entertainment Centre in Adelaide where they had a live cross to Hey Hey It’s Saturday, ( television show) and an interview by Molly Meldrum.

There was another 3 bands I think performing that night as well. I went there with Bryan (husband) and met my mum and dad in the car park.

What made me laugh was that my darling mother had been to a Melbourne cup luncheon recently and had made herself a rather unusual hat. My mum is very good at sewing and not afraid of standing out in the crowd even though at this stage she was in her 60’s.   You can spot her in the left hand corner with the rather tall top hat with a horse on it.

My Dad was mortified and tried to talk her out of this hat before we went in,  but mother would not be convinced of otherwise.  She was going to wear this hat come hell or high water to her son’s concert.

I must say I applaud her courage.  It is a fantastic thing to be and individual and proud of it and most probably some of my getting out on a limb also comes from mum, although most people say the artistic side is from my father’s side but I think it’s a bit of both. So the man with the beard is my father and then there is my husband and me dancing next to them.

Check out the action under the sound guys table.

What a wonderful night.

From the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde here is another saying that I like,

“All women are like their mothers.  That is their tragedy.

No man does.  That’s his.”

Hope you come and visit me soon again.

Love Marie xxxx                                                     (c)

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June 22, 2010 in Current Blog, Family & Friends by Marie

24. Noodles Anyone ?

I had so much fun painting this painting “Noodles Anyone” which depicts Francis and Putu , a couple who run this fantastic restaurant in the small mid north town of Burra called White Cedars Indonesian  Cafe and Gallery.

It is the last place on earth that you would expect to find a gorgeous little Balinese place, but once you’ve been there you have to return.

I don’t remember how I was initially introduce to them, but what I did know right away was that I really liked them both and we had so much in common particularly as we go nearly every year to Bali.

They asked me a couple of years ago to have an exhibition there for the Sala Festival and a great success it was too, they do not do things by half.

White Cedars was filled to overflowing with people and both the food and the wine were too.  It is the people that make a town great so hats off guys!

You see Putu is from Bali and Francis after spending 32 years as a Primary school teacher built his ultra-modern minimalist dream house at Maslin Beach SA.

Four years later the adventure bug bit and Francis moved to Bali where he met Putu and together they built another dream house but this time in the Balinese traditional style with grass roof and open to the elements surrounded by a vibrant tropical garden, jungle and fast flowing streams.

They eventually decided to pick up stumps and settled in Burra where despite the cold they have made a wonderful go of it.  So much so that Putu is now becoming a true blue Aussie this coming Saturday.

On this painting it is Putu dancing on the table in their establishment, he actually does a stunning Balinese performance and has even done so at several major events around the state although I must claim artistic licence to the noodles between the toes, I never did see him do that, lol.

Putu also doubles as the head chef, whilst Francis handles front of house with nothing being too much trouble for his guests.   So if you are in Burra look them up!

I would also like to invite you all to my next exhibition ‘Naive View’ which is this Saturday 26^th June.

Apart from my works in the main gallery, there will also be works on show by the Ladies from the Valley showing Pots ‘n’ Paints and also Parallel 1930 by Gaara Arts showing works by Broken Hill Women Artists.

It is being opened by Nadine Williams, acclaimed international journalist and author of the bestseller “From France with Love” which has now also been optioned to be made into a movie.  So it should be quite a swell affair.  (Another blog will follow on Nadine)

I know for most of you spread across the world that is way too far to go, maybe next time.

Here is another quote I like by Ernestine Ulmer (writer)

“Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.”

Love Marie xx

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June 18, 2010 in Current Blog, Things I've Learned by Marie

23. Don’t let your arthritis get in the way

I was thrilled when I found out that my painting Don’t let Your Arthritis get in the way was going to be on the cover of  the Adelaide Review it was printed in conjunction of an exhibition at the time.

Quite amazing to me that one can have two completely separate occupations and both ended up gracing covers.

Funny though you would never get a cover in modelling showing old folks like this.

Shame isn’t it that growing old is not celebrated more; you often hear that youth is wasted on the young and in many ways that is true.

Although I must say in my own case that each passing year just gets better than the last.  Yes sure, there are always hick ups along the way, life happens to you whilst you are busy doing other things…. as Lennon said.

But for the most part, it’s such a joy to be alive, I’m just not totally happy with the allotment of time…..are we talking round the 100 or so years at the most, give or take a few years.

How is that going to be enough, there is so much to do and see and experience and equally important are the quiet times, sitting cosy by the fire with the rain falling on the iron roof, kicking back with a good red and the latest movie.

On this painting you will find me (30 years or so into the future) the one, in the middle kicking my legs up, yes I do that still and intend to till the end, if I can still muster up the energy.

Bryan is by the bar, hair grey now (it really is grey now although I always paint him still with his blond curly hair and blond moustache)

The others in the painting are our friends, and you may not have noticed but we have been a little to boisterous in our attempts at some good old fashioned boogying that we have all lost our false teeth, they are all around us on the floor.

Well let’s hope that not all my paintings come true, I would really like to keep my teeth were they belong, and not in a glass by the bed.

Here is a thought by Albert Schweitzer (humanitarian and philosopher) that I like.

“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight.  The truly wise person is colour-blind.”

Till next time,

Love Marie

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June 15, 2010 in Current Blog, Things I've Learned by Marie

22. Kicking and screaming into the 21st century

How fantastic the internet is!!!

Oh it’s probably all ho-hum to you lot, but you see I am a real newcomer to this.  My Husband/Manager Bryan has been looking after my old website and anything electronic since forever and I swore black and blue that I was just not INTERESTED and did not even know how to turn the stupid thing on!  I used to say when asked that I still marvelled at the invention of lighting a match.

Well how things change….I got a laptop for Christmas and here we are and now I think it is the best thing since sliced bread and my children and husband say, welcome to the 21^st century.

One of the fabulous advantages for me has been the reconnection with my Swedish relatives through Face book which is another thing I so love.  The time just runs away when you are on that, so parents don’t be so hard on your kids, they can’t help it, time speeds up I swear. Lol Really nice to meet so many new face book friends too.

Anyway had a message from my cousin, whose mother had bought 3 of my paintings at my Swedish show a few years back.  He had heard that I often paint the family in my work and asked where we were.  His question was “Where is Waldo?” (The Swedes have a funny way with translations; it should be Wally, right lol)

So I sent him this picture of “Pottering at the Port” so he could compare and find us in the other paintings (we are on top of the lighthouse on the right hand side Bryan in an orange shirt, little Kai and Hillivi and me next to them waving. No clue who is next to us, never spoke to them, so never found out! Lol)

You see I nearly always paint us as we were when the kids were little.  Hillivi will be forever 4 and Kai 8 years old. I don’t know why I do that; perhaps it is because they were just mine and Bryans then.

We did not have to share them with boyfriends and girlfriends and work and just life.

They will forever be my baby girl and baby boy and I still call them that today, as you can imagine that was not a cool thing to be called during the awkward teenage years but they coped well with their mothers little idiosyncrasies.  Although understandably teenage son at 18 was less than pleased when I called him my little” Possum Poo “in front of his new girlfriend, I think as I remember I got a bit of silent treatment then, well deserved too, but I swear it just slipped out.  The lights were on but there was no one home. Lol

Here is another saying I like from Price Cobb a racing car driver.

“Some days you’re a bug.  Some days you’re a windshield.”

Till next time

Love Marie xxx

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June 11, 2010 in Current Blog, My Roots by Marie

21. Life in a Circus Tent

This is a continuation of 20. Antonis Tivoli so if you missed it you may want to recap.

When I grew up in Sweden my father worked as a carpenter and my mother stayed mainly at home and both provided a wonderful environment for me and my brother to grow up in. ( I will tell you about my maternal grandparents another time but this is about my father’s family.)

This particular work “The Acrobat” is one of my dads, Ted Jonsson and made entirely from cardboard which he has cut up and painted and glued like a mosaic effect and as you read on you will soon discover how he  became an artist.

My father did not want to work in showbiz as he wanted to join the” establishment” that he saw around him and not wanting the circus life.  So he went out to sea with the merchant navy first and then went to trade school and qualified as a chef, before settling in as a carpenter.

During the summer months when my grandparents would take their Tivoli around Sweden we would go and visit them from time to time.  During the day we would find my grandfather fishing in some stream (stress release) and at night we would help out with the sideshows and it was all very exciting.

I would usually be allowed to pick something out from the prizes in sideshow ally, and that was a big treat.

In this painting my grandfather is throwing knifes at my grandmother but he wore many hats and also had the stage name as DEVIS-THE LIVING VOLCANO,  eating what appeared to be burning meatballs,  this trick he would also do for us kids at family gatherings and me and the cousins just loved it.

My Grandfather Anton also appeared as Nilo the comical juggler, dressed as a clown, and juggling to the delight of the watching audience.  My aunty Eyvor is the lady with the cigarette and she would do a disappearing act and also a dance with feathers and fans, later on Eyvor and her husband also travelled the country side with their own Tivoli.  I have just found out that my cousin Sonja was also left at home alone for months at a time, although she was around 13 years old when that first started.

Uncle Willy sitting on the camel did lots of behind the scenes jobs, before being in charge of the lights in several Swedish Theatres and later on worked for one of the TV news channels in Sweden and was part of breaking many exciting news stories.

Uncle Charles became a civil engineer and was revered as the one who went to University, and joined the elite so to speak.

My Aunty Gun (dressed as a ballerina) won Miss Lucia in 1947 and was a most sought after beauty of her time, making headlines in all the papers,  she got a life supply of Palmolive soap (never had to buy one again!)  She then went on to dance in an international dance troupe called “The Cassel Girls “and later became a famous actress.  She was in several plays directed by Ingmar Bergman and Gun is also a much admired director and producer, something which she still does today.  (‘Bad Javlarna’,’ Hem till Byn’ and ‘Sova rav’ are just some of her Swedish movies and TV shows, you Swedes know what I am talking about.)

My father decided after working as a carpenter both in Sweden and in Australia and doing painting and sculpting in his spare time, it was time to bite the bullet and he now dedicates his time to the arts either by helping my brother or me or doing his own fabulous sculptures and if you feel like checking out his art go to Ted Jonsson Junk Art on face book or use this link Ted Jonsson Junk Art.

This is a detail of a painting and shows my Dad (he is climbing a tree house and flying a kite, one of those blokes that is forever young and refuses to grow up! Good on you Dad! )

However most of his work could not be more different than mine, I think perhaps he chases away the demons from his door still today through his art.  My dad creates art from other peoples discarded objects, is a keen connoisseur of junk and an ace rubbish tip scrounger.  He has had a great deal of success and exhibits with Greenaway and BMG Galleries in Adelaide and is represented in the National Gallery in Canberra.  My father has been instrumental in my own career, always there to encourage and urge me on and always ready to lend a hand and most importantly love me unconditionally.  Thanks Dad

Here is a quote by James Russell Lowell that I think my knife throwing Grandfather would have agreed with:

“Mishaps are like knives that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle.”

Love Marie xx

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June 6, 2010 in Current Blog, My Roots by Marie

20. Antonis Tivoli

This painting “Antonis Tivoli” is one I painted for my father and depicts him and his family, my grandparents.  They spent nearly all their lives travelling around Sweden and nearby countries with their side shows and entertainments which also had a dance venue with a live band.

They usually travelled for 6 months during the warmer weather then came back to Stockholm where they spent the winter months doing repairs on the sideshows trucks and tents.

They had 5 children, 4 of whom joined the Tivoli, however my Dad was the youngest and he had to stay at home and go to school.  He would live in their large 2 storey home all by himself from the age of around 10, for six months at a time.

My father describes this time as very scary and also very exciting as he got older.  His parents would leave him bags and bags full of coins (small change from the Tivoli) to use for food and whatever he needed. They also arranged for the local deli owner to give him credit.

Can you imagine nowadays leaving a child of 10 alone for half a year, however in those days things were different and when my grandparents were home they were great parents from what I can understand.

My dad would come home and check the whole house for ghosts and burglars with a large knife in his hand, walking from room to room.  His nutritional value count could well have been low lol, as he remembers eating a lot of cornflakes during those months.

My grandfather Anton joined the circus at the age of 16, working as an acrobat and did a highwire act.  My grandmother Vera ran away from home at 15 (as I did when I was 14 but that’s another story) and she went out to sea, joined on as a kitchen hand.  They eventually met and ran away to join the circus, well made a circus in their case!

On this painting my grandmother is tied to a spinning wheel although that may be my artistic licence, what is true however is that she was blind folded and tied up and my grandfather also blind folded, would throw knives around her.  My father describes their marriage as a good one but very volatile and remembers many a time when they would have big fights just as their music would start up and their names were announced to go on stage.  He remembers holding his breath hoping that his mother would not get hurt.  She herself had no such qualms however knowing and trusting that Anton would keep her safe, such faith!!    (to be continued)

So I am very glad this next quote was said by Thomas Hart Benton (politician) and not my grandfather!

“I never quarrel, sir.  But sometimes fight, sir, and whenever I fight, sir, a funeral follows”

Hope you come back and visit me again

Love Marie xx

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June 2, 2010 in Current Blog, Sculpture by Marie

19. All Creatures great and small.

I had so much fun designing and creating this work, all the animals are hand made out of clay, set to dry over several weeks on boards on the floor of my studio and then fired bisque.  Followed by, in some cases up to five coats of paint, two coats of glazing and of course drying in between and then fired again in a kiln up to 1000 degrees.

The work is much like a giant jigsaw puzzle, glued on a waterproof sheet and then mosaic around.  My ceramic work hang equally well inside or outside as everything is waterproof and the glue is the same as they use in swimming pool tiling.

I am particularly fond of this piece and love to imagine all the different species of animals all being friends, no one is being anybody’s lunch.  All in perfect harmony, everybody is happy, just like I would like the world to always be.

This artwork which recently sold, “All Creatures Great and Small”, celebrates the wonderful animal kingdom of our planet.

So another passion is of course animals, how anyone could live without animals is beyond me.  Particularly dogs, man’s best friend (and womans.lol) right now we have two dogs Vegas named after Las Vegas of course, where we renewed our wedding vows a few years ago and Cheech named after the comedy duo Cheech and Chong.

And really those names so suit them ,Vegas a Chihuahua and very lady like and likes the finer things in life and Cheech is like and adolescent with ADHD and a learning disorder, lol.

He is all over the place all at once and drives us all crazy even Vegas, but hey, is extremely cute and very lovable.  They told us at the pet shop that he was a cross between a Chihuahua and a Mini foxy, but I am sure another “ring in” got in on the act. I will tell you about all our other animals another day.

Here is another thought that I like by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms”

Hope to see you again

Love Marie xxxxx   (c)

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