October 29, 2010 in Country Life, Current Art Blog by Marie

52.Art & All Roads lead to Mallala

ART IN THE GRAVEYARD

All roads lead to Mallala, is the name of this painting and when we first moved out to the country from the big “smoke” this is where we moved to, well nearly, 10 km from here, as you can see there is a lot that goes on in the country too depicted in my naive art way.

We lived in an old church which had been converted into a 2 story house, surrounded by paddocks and with a graveyard over the back fence.

All roads lead to Rome - or Mallala!

A lot of people would comment that we were brave to live there, but even though I am a scary cat in other aspects the graveyard never affected me, it was a serene and peaceful place.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

We were told when we bought the place that it was no longer in use, so I must say that once when we arrived home and there was a fresh grave there it was a little confronting, lol.

But still no ghosts or any funny goings -on, the only funny business came from our dogs at the time Spike and Saba and the rabbits that lived under the graves.

Spike our small terrier used to chase them down the rabbit hole and I would be beside myself wondering if she would come out alive, or get stuck there forever, or goodness gracious- bring up a bone that did not belong to a rabbit!

If you enjoyed that dog story you may just enjoy this art blog  too 8. Thunder in the Thunder Box & Art

Mallala was our first taste of country life and we were welcomed to the district with open arms and met such a lot of nice people, some of whom we count as our best friends even today 20 something years later.

ART OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

However there was one less than friendly person there, who shall remain nameless lol.  In any case this woman was not from the district but opened a video hire outlet there in conjunction with the local takeaway.

She was grumpy as, heaven forbid you should bring a video in a minute after the allotted time, or even worse actually had faulty video that you could not watch and then complain about it.

It would be like facing the Gestapo; you would tremble at the thought of bringing the video back and telling her about it.  Of course she would insist it was your fault and that you deliberately broke the video and you better pay up or else.

Lol luckily this particular woman did not last long in this business.  Funny don’t you think when people run their own business and have a shop front and then have not learned to be friendly to their customers, they do not realize that repeat business comes not only from the product they sell but also from their demeanor too, you know customer service.  You can see the Video shop a little left of center in the artwork.

Here is a quote from Victor Hugo (writer)

“Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters”

Till next time, happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie xx

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October 23, 2010 in Current Art Blog, Modelling Stories by Marie

51. ART of Laughter is the best medicine mmm…. and maybe a little bit of snake

THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP

My long time friend Debonella (my nickname for her) had her birthday this week, and although she lives in another state and we see each other very rarely, I still treasure our friendship and the mad times we had together and she is every bit as beautiful now as she was in her modelling days a real artistic inspiration.

Debonella is crazy mad about horses and always have been and has represented Australia in horse events overseas.  As she is a very private person I won’t tell you in what events but she is certainly up there with the Champions!

This painting depicts us just laying about and drinking champagne which if we had been asked what our hobbies were we may have included on the list- oh those were the days.  I must confess I neither remember the name of this painting nor where it sold, not from too much champagne drinking  though,LOL.  If you enjoy the artblog below you may also enjoy this one 12. Salvador Dali and C’est La Vie

Girls having fun!

THE ART OF FASHION

Anyway the time I was going to tell you about here, was when we were in the Philippines for 6 weeks on tour with a fashion parade.

We spent 4 or so weeks in Manila doing a daily lunch time show in one of the top hotels and then the next couple of weeks flying to the provinces around Philippines and doing the same.  It was lots of fun but also hard work as in-between doing the parades there were always publicity shots to be done and interviews and television appearances, etc.

So at the time we were quite exhausted (not to mention all the partying we would be doing at night too, oh that glamorous life can be so tiring.)

Anyway Debonella spotted some locally produced tonic drink, advertising that you would be good as new and get that missing” spring” back in your step.

THE ART OF THE SNAKE

On closer inspection it was also noted that it did contain Snake!  As I am a vegetarian that put stop to the consumption for me however my mad friend was still keen to try some.  I should tell you now that us Australian girls are quite down to earth and always like having a laugh and maybe I and Debonella would always egg each other on even more, to amuse ourselves and particularly so when we got a bit tired.

So there we were in this 5 star hotel lobby just having been to the shop and bought the snake tonic drink, which Debonella finished in one swift skull when she thought she should show me how great it made her feel.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

So to set the scene, the lobby is vast with a beautiful marble floor and décor to match, the people milling around are in Armani suits and other designer gear dripping with diamonds, when suddenly Debonella (looking stunning and statuesque as usual in full model makeup) starts to do giant leaps around the lobby like something out of Swan Lake with a few pirouettes thrown in.

Her friend, moi, looses the plot completely and I’m doubled over crying with laughter, whilst the whole lobby has come to a standstill and everyone are looking very surprised and slightly amused at us.

So nothing ventured nothing gained I figure, you have to live your life so that you have lots of fun memories to amuse you in your old age.  As my old age is still far away (well that’s what I tell myself anyway) I hope to make plenty more for the memory bank!

So here is a quote I like and which fits perfectly here, said by Horace (Poet).

“Mix a little foolishness with your prudence:  It’s good to be silly at the right moment.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting!

Love Marie  xx

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

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October 17, 2010 in Current Art Blog, Modelling Stories by mariejon

50. Not a trout pout in sight in Art

ARTIST & MODEL

Wow had an awesome night and got to bed at 3.30 am a little worse for wear!  So today I have to use my face as the canvas and paint on a pretty face not in my normal naive art style though!

Last night was the Model Reunion for one of the modeling agents in town and even though I was a” ring in” (I modeled for the opposition at the time) I still had a great night.

One thing that we all commented on was that’ back in the day’ it was not a bitchy profession and most girls actually had each other’s backs covered and all got on really well. Which is why I felt quite comfortable being in the ’oppositions camp’ as it were!

This painting the’ Golden Years of Modeling’, was auctioned off on the night and I was delighted to see vigorous bidding for it, even nicer was the fact that it was bought by Sue; someone I used to model with and have not seen for maybe 20 years or so.

Art & The Golden Years of Modelling!

Sue was working at the time for a manufacturing agent called Saville Row where they designed men’s shirts and also handled a few other ranges of women’s clothes and they hired me to be the in house model/receptionist a job I shared with her.

At the time it was my first modeling job at 17 years old and I was in awe of Sue who was a couple of years older than me and very sophisticated and gorgeous. So I was really thrilled to see that my artwork will be hanging on her wall and I hope it will bring back great memories and amuse her whenever she looks at the painting.

The night was full of models, photographers, agents, journalists and advertising people some still in the business and others long ago retired.

ART IN A NATURAL WAY

I did expect to see a lot of ‘trout pouts’ but am happy to report that most of the beautiful people were still beautiful in a natural way, there may have been a tuck here or there but nothing obvious.

We had all gotten older though and some had put on a few pounds but everyone that turned up, were still gorgeous and several could still give the new girls a run for their money if they hit the catwalk.

We giggled and laughed and reminisced, drank champagne and wines, ate canapés.  The night was handled superbly by Jane Reilly from Channel 10, and there was even a 35 minute DVD of photographs and old commercials which brought back memories.  Jane and I initially met many moons ago in the Beach Girl Quest long before I was an artist.

There was loud cheering and whistling by some of the models children when they saw their mothers strut her stuff in a segment of the Rocky Horror Show, they were so proud, whilst their father tried to quiet them down.  All in all a very fun night!

We had good intentions to catch the last train home at 12pm but guess we missed that by a long shot, so taxi it was.

MORE ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

As it turned out it was a very nice ride home, our taxi driver was a turban wearing Indian sheikh a lovely chap and we chatted all the way home.

He was going home to get married in December to a girl arranged for him by his parents which is their custom.

We got on so well he actually invited us to the wedding and even offered us a place to stay.  The wedding is in the north of India in the Punjab area and takes place over several days.  The first day there will be 500 guests and the second day 800 are coming (so I guess 2 more will make little difference he thought.)

My son pointed out when I told him that no wonder there are so many coming if he invites every Tom, Dick and Harry that goes in his cab to the ceremony, lol

So perhaps this saying should be something for us all to consider by Pythagoras (philosopher)

“The oldest, shortest words-“yes” and “no”- are those which require the most thought.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all.

Love Marie  xx

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

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October 13, 2010 in Country Life, Current Art Blog by mariejon

49. By the Seaside & Art

ART & FLOODS

As it happens we should just have stayed at the farm, because four days after we moved to the seaside the seaside actually came to the farm would you believe!   If you missed our house moving tales here is the art blogs on our adventures 40. Tree Change for a Sea Change & Art and 41. Art & Collecting Cackleberries and Thank you Balaklava and of course there has to be a packing story in there too; 42. Art & All That Packing ..mmm Better have a Holiday

So four days after we moved to the seaside one of the biggest down pours in history happened at Whitwarta where we lived and according to the locals the water levels were at record heights!

The river of course broke its banks and the new owners of our farm house had the water lapping very close to the front door.  Several paddocks were completely submerged and only the top of the fences showed.  The water pipe for the house was ripped out by the water as was the water meter.

This painting shows a country scene and was inspired by the country life, and as the new family that has moved in has six children under ten, it can easily be them with their lovely mum and dad, Janette and Kirk (apart from the hair colours!)

Outsider Art!

THE ART OF KEEPING YOUR COOL

The new owners had a wonderful  C’est la vie attitude and took it all in their stride, called us up to find out where the water pipe that connects to the house was located and so on.  They said it was a great way to meet the neighbours, and everyone rallied around and helped them lay a temporary water pipe down the drive way for the time being.

I think the river flooded as a greeting for them, as it did the same for us many years ago just 3 or so weeks after we moved in, although this time the food did a lot more damage.

I must say it is spectacular to watch and it brings new life to the area and lots of seabirds and little creatures.  The frogs which hibernate during winter and seem to disappear totally during the drought years, just magically come back to life and their croaking is something I never tired of listening too.

Frog Pond as a Care Card

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

This painting of the Frog Pond was made into a Care Card and sold for Charity, there were so many visions in the country that made the creative juices flow, all around you there is another scene that you want to recreate as a sculpture or artwork of any type.

My father made a little wooden dingy for the kids when they were little and they used to take great delight at rowing in the river, although they did have to wait until the water had subsided considerably as during the peak, it is a torrent of water collecting everything in its path.

Great big logs and drums and a tyre or two have been spotted winding their way down, and heaven forbid that you should fall in, even the strongest swimmer would have a hard time getting to safety.

When the river dries out again it is like Christmas to walk down in the riverbed and see what the water brought this time.

Usually lots of logs and branches get caught up in some tree roots snag and look just like huge beavers nests, and that’s what we used to call them.

The local wildlife would take up residence there and the beaver’s nests would cater for foxes, rabbits, lizards and snakes, all very exciting for little children and dogs.

So to the new owners of the farm, the Taylors,( a more perfect family we could not think of to take over this house), we wish you all the best and hope your time in the this new home will be as happy and wonderful as it was for us.

I think this motto fits well in here said by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (writer)

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie xx

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

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October 7, 2010 in Current Art Blog, Enjoying Old age & Art by mariejon

48. Art in a Surprise Package

THE ART OF FRIENDSHIP

You know sometimes you meet people and you just love them right away and wonder why you just haven’t been friends forever such inspirational people both for paintings and art blogs and life in general.

That has just happened to me-I have just met a couple of new friends,  I guess the only unusual thing is that these two new friends are quite a bit older than me- so if you ever think age is a barrier to friendship you may have to think again.  In the future this painting or any others I do of the older generation will have to depict them doing much more interesting things than knitting!

I will tell you about Helen first, she was introduced as the mad cousin of a photographer friend of mine.  Helen told me she likes a chardonnay or two and that she doesn’t do mornings and then proceeded to have me in stitches telling me not to be surprised if she dances on the bonnet (hood) of the car by the end of the night, as that has been known to happen!

Cosy by the fire in naive style!

THE ART OF AGING

Not unusual you say- well maybe just a touch if you are 81 years old!  My husband Bryan was sitting next to Helen and opposite me for dinner, and the whole time he was crying with laughter and had tears rolling down his face as this gorgeous and vivacious woman told her tales and entertained us all night long.

Making us laugh about birth, death and everything in between.  One such story was this one:

Helen had promised to take her rather new 95 year old friend out for her birthday.  The lady in question was in a nursing home and did not get out much.  Helen had been very busy with this and that and had not got around to cleaning out her car, however just before she was due to pick her friend up she had the guilts about that and got the vacuum cleaner and car polish out and made the car shine.

THE ART OF DOING THE RIGHT THING

She had set the table like a 95 year old would appreciate with nice crockery and doilies and flowers and the like, and then set off to the nursing home to pick her up.

When she got there her friend was sitting in her room in the wheelchair all dressed in her fineries with a hat on her head looking like she was asleep, and the nurse told Helen to just wake her up and get going.  However that was easier said than done as the lady in question was really quite dead,  stiff in fact.  However that did not seem to register with the nurse who started to call in her walkey talkey  and asking for the oxygen to be brought in, as Helen tells it- that might have helped an hour ago but it wasn’t going to make any difference now. LOL

Helen stayed around and called the next of kin (although she did not know them or the lady that had died terribly well) However she did the right thing and helped with what she could.  Anyway a few days later this woman’s two daughters appeared on the doorstep of Helen’s house and Thanked her ever so much for everything and said that they had some things of her mother’s that they would like Helen to keep as a thank you.

MORE ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

Helen told them there was really no need as she did not want for anything and she thought the girls should keep all the possessions for themselves.  But they insisted and said they could not think of anyone else who were more deserving of this small inheritance. Helen did not know how she could contain her laughter when they finally revealed their gifts to her; they were a Mega pack of Steradent ( a type of false teeth cleaning tablet) and a MEGA pack of incontinence pads!

Helen graciously thanked them very much before they left, never revealing her true feelings, lol, she may be 81, she knows that, but for goodness sake she needed neither.  She said she uses the Steradent to clean out her red wine decanters and they do a very good job of that, and she thinks she may have to use the incontinence pads to take of her makeup with.

Another art blog featuring a Public Sculpture that I made on the topic of living life to the fullest no matter what your age is this one;132 Age is just a state of mind

I so wish I had met her earlier and also met her late husband Stan, apparently he was a character too.  He loved his garden and would go out and water his flowers and plants every morning-in the nude-mind you, well maybe not completely as he always wore a hat and tie, but nothing else.  What a sight for sore eyes.

So I keep telling myself do not judge a book by its cover, you never know what treasures you may find inside.

I feel sure this quote is one that Helen does not live by, lol as said in jest (I’m sure) by Janeane Garofalo.

“The glass is always half empty.  And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie  xx

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

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October 1, 2010 in Art & Bali, Current Art Blog by mariejon

47. Eat, Love, Art & maybe not so much Praying

BALI & ART

“Bali, Bali, Bali” is what Gus and the Three Amigos sang as we enjoyed one of our last dinners at Shangrila in Candi Dasa.  It is always sad to leave this artist paradise but we finally had to, after much snorkeling, daily massages, eating and drinking cocktails (and eating them out of house and home when it comes to the peanuts I’m sure, as both me and Bryan are self confessed piggy’s when it comes to the fried peanuts with our drinks!)

Now it was time for us to move on closer to Kuta and the shopping stage of the holiday, this painting depicts Kuta Beach and the overseas tourists enjoying themselves.  I painted this when most of the tourists seemed European or Australian; nowadays I think most of the tourists seemed to be from China or Japan, funny how the different trends go.  Kuta is actually looking a little cleaner these days-they have had a rubbish removal program going which is great.  Also the economy has improved a little for the local people so walking down the street is not quite as frantic as it can get with the Hawkers now which is nice.

Art on the Beach!

We stayed at a lovely place called Bali Rich, in our own Villa with a private pool and outdoor kitchen, which is new and in Kerbokian close to where the prison is in Bali.

We walked past on our morning walk and were very pleased that we were on the outside, as it did not look like somewhere that you would like to hang out in.  Could not help but think of the Bali Nine and Schappelle Corby being locked up in there.  Just hope that all the ones that are there, really did do their crimes and are not innocently locked up!

THE ART OF SHOPPING

We shopped till we dropped for 2 days straight- baby girl had sent a list four pages long with her wishes in it, all the designer bags and purses as well as close to 200 DVD’s and lots of other stuff.  We ended up being 6 kg overweight even though at this stage we had already left our walking shoes, a handbag, an umbrella as well as some old clothes behind!  Thank you very much Virgin for being so understanding!!!

This time we didn’t visit the Monkey Forest but if you want to see an artwork and read a funny art blog about our adventures there here is a link 1. Mmm… First Days Art Blog

I of course drove Bryan crazy with all the walking everywhere, but I cannot think of a better way of getting to know your neighbourhood and at the same time get all that exercise we need.  I also have another annoying habit (well I do have an excuse for that being both Celiac and a Vegetarian) which is checking out all the menus as we walk past the different restaurants for just that perfect meal.  Hubby is like-“enough of the walking already, let’s just sit down in the very first place we find and eat mmm.. and drink”  But it is a wife’s job to drive the husband nuts isn’t it? Lol

So I think this qoute by Benjamin Franklin (statesman)

“Wine: a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy.  Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xx

Why not come and have a look at Marie Jonsson-Harrison’s PAINTINGS FOR SALE, GICLEE PRINTS FOR SALE and SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

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