October 28, 2011 in Current Blog, Sculpture by mariejon

106 Outsider Art Festival

Look out the Outsiders Festival which opens next week in Adelaide.  This is an annual event organized by Stefan Maguran, who calls himself an underemployed artist and Project Manager.

This Giclee print “Expose yourself to Art” is one of my pieces which is included in this show.  The original artwork was done in handmade ceramic and mosaic.

The festival takes place at several venues across Adelaide and the driving force behind it all is of course Stefan who has worked tirelessly on this project for months.  According to his website, the festival and The Outsiders Festival Museum is entirely sponsored by the Maguran family budget from his extremely patient, caring and understanding wife and her salary.

So on behalf of the 40 something artists involved we thank you!  The artists this year are from around the world with works from Spain, France, UK, USA, Taiwan, Turkey and of course Australia.

So what is Outsider Art I hear you say?  Well it is a little bit hard to define and it depends upon who you are talking with.  However the general conscientious is that the work is out of the mainstream so to speak.  The artists are usually self taught and follow no rules and paint for themselves and because they have to, want to and cannot stop.  Their work does not conform to the fashion of the day and the techniques can be unconventional.  Another word for Outsider art is Art Brut which means art in a “raw” state, uncooked so to speak.

I have seen it mentioned that there is a distinction between “art  brut” and Naive art, and that is that the Naive artist remain within the mainstream of painting proper, and they do this because they hope for public recognition.  However I cannot agree with that all, I have seen many artists work that straddle the two worlds and morph into one.

From an Naive artist perspective if anything is a point of difference between the two genres it would be that the Outsider art shows often a more troubled soul with work in the muted tones perhaps a bit more confronting and darker.  Whereas the Naive artist’s artworks in general depict a colourful and happy world.

Perhaps what makes this Outsider Festival a little bit different is that the work is very diverse and manages to straddle several other genera of art as well.  If you would like to see some of the works without travelling all the way to South Australia have a look at this fabulous new publication edited by Stefan Maguran called the Outsiders Festival 2011.

For the rest of you here, do come and see for yourself as I am sure there will be something for all of you to enjoy.  For the first time this year the festival includes Outsiders Short Film Festival, with films from Australia, UK and Taiwan as well as a performance by Hot Tutti (part of the Tutti Ensemble).

DATES;

1-30 November 2011

Official opening;

2^nd November 2011

1.00 – 6.00pm

The West Torrens Auditorium

1 Brooker Terrace Hilton

Also individual exhibitions at the following Galleries;

Black Diamond Gallery

66 Commercial Rd

Port Adelaide,

Jungle Phillips Gallery

558 Marion Rd

Plympton Park,

Langdons

215 Sturt Rd

Adelaide,

Stefan Maguran Gallery

316 Anzac Highway

Plympton.

So here is a saying that amused me greatly from the Simpson and reminds me that as an artist you do have to have thick skin, lol.

“Your husband’s work is what we call “outsider art.” It could be by a mental patient, a hillbilly or a chimpanzee.”

Love

marie

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October 21, 2011 in Current Blog by mariejon

105 Little Miss Wee Wee or Pee for you Americans

No this time it’s not a tale about my poor long suffering daughter who wishes her mother would keep all those embarrassing childhood stories to herself.  No, this one is about Kicki the cute; butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, bitsa dog.

You see my mother and father are cruising the Pacific, on the Dawn Princess no less, stopping in Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia and the like for two weeks, having silver service every night, playing dress up, sitting with the captain on his table no doubt, whilst we got stuck with little Miss Wee Wee (or Miss Pee Pee). Oh the unfairness of it all!

Now Kicki is one year old and absolutely gorgeous, just a little puppy and sooo sweet BUT she has this one little fault – every time you come in the door, or go upstairs and reappear or talk to her or just about anything – she does a little pee.   It doesn’t seem to matter whether she is excited or frightened or happy or sad.  Any old time will do, just a little squat and whoops there is another pee to clean up.  No wonder when my parents dropped her off Mum arrived with a big bag full of goodies.  I was quite impressed; there was food and snacks enough for a month, then there was the cleaning products (mmm..perhaps that should have been a clue) and also some puppy training pads.  Turns out they are totally useless too, as it must be much more fun to pee next to them!

So an exciting time has been had by all, cleaning rag in the back pocket and a bottle of “Ajax clean and wipe” on the ready night and day.  As soon as there is a knock on the door, little Kicki gets rushed outside, as that is the only safe spot to say hello to the cute little girl, and don’t get me wrong she is adorable!  Just WET!

First day she is here we take our normal 40 minute morning walk, this time with the 3 dogs, very happy to see lots of pees and other “business” is getting done away from the house.  We laugh as she runs like the cartoon dog from “Footrott Flats” with her hind legs overtaking her head or alternatively is just like a fly on a string!  Then we spot a big dog off the lead heading straight for us and my poor hubby trips and falling down like a timber in the woods!  In the commotion he lets go of the 2 leads and there is a major panic with dogs and leads and traffic.

I got that sorted and back to the injured hubby who at this stage, was still was not moving.  We thought he had a broken foot & finger at the very least, as he slowly limped home.  Luckily it was a just a sprained foot and a cut and dislocated finger, but it hurt like hell according to the poor patient.  Guess what, the “Pee- cleaneruperer gang” is now cut by 50%, well you can’t do that with dislocated finger can you!!  I am telling a little fib now as handsome son Kai certainly is doing his share of the “Pee- patrol” too.

Must say though as it turned out little Kicki got her just desserts too, lol.  The next day she was out in the back yard actually sniffing around looking like she was really going to squat and do her business somewhere good, when our dog Cheech came along.  As fate would have it; just as Kicki lifted her head up, Cheech cocked his leg and let go of the longest pee and little KicKi just looked and blinked and blinked as the stream went all over her face and eyes and nose.  She looked cute as a button if you still can do that with your face full of pee?

So here is a quotation to contemplate from Max Eastman and the Enjoyment of Laughter:

“Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.”

Till next time,

Love Marie xxx  (C)

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October 14, 2011 in Current Blog by mariejon

104 Terry Tomcat and the Plains Producer

I know some people think that all that matters happens in the big smoke, but as someone who has lived in the country for over 20 years I can assure you that is not the case.  Take the local newspaper for instance The Plains Producer situated in Balaklava which has thrived serving the local district. Current circulation is 2,500 with more than 7,000 readers, spanning an area as far as Virginia in the south, to Snowtown in the north, although the paper is for sale much farther and wider than that. (They also these days publish a free monthly newspaper, Two Wells Echo).

The Plains Producer was founded in 1903 under a different name and then had several reincarnations before finally being taken over by Roger Manuel in 1983.  His wife Margaret took over in 1995 after the sad passing of Roger and did a fantastic job and now their son Andrew is continuing in their footsteps with the same passion and vigor.

However it is the present Editor of the Plains Producer Terry Williams that I would like to tell you about – you see he and another Terry (a tale for another day) was my inspiration for this acrylic painting “Terry Tomcat”.   Although Terry says he is more of a Paco Rabanne or Yves St Laurent type of guy!!

So Terry and I go back in the “day” to when newspapers were constructed in huge rooms full of desks overflowing with note books, papers, photos, pens and coffee mugs.  Where reporters, photographers and passersby mingled, argued and swore.  Before the political correctness was even thought off and cigarettes was firmly held in mouths as the clatter of typewriters filled the rooms and of course it goes without saying that at knock off time there were a few beers to be had at the local pub too.   You see Terry is one hell of a “newspaperman” one of those guys that gets right into a story and builds a narrative and also calls a spade a spade when ” it” is one, lol.   He has the knack of telling it how it is, in an everyday fashion which is very appealing.

He has worn many hats over the years starting out as a copyboy in 1968 with the News Limited and going up through the ranks to Features Editor.   In 1983 Terry and his gorgeous wife Lee (and she still is today) had their first “tree change” leaving Glengowrie where Terry was born and raised and together with Lee’s sister Tania bought the lease of the Terminus Hotel in Balaklava, which they ran for 3 years.  Once a newspaperman always a newspaperman I recon, as they returned to Adelaide and bought a couple of news agencies (one of them was the big one Read All About it, at the Myer Centre).  Terry divided his time between the businesses and the Sunday Mail, being lured back there by the then editor Rex Jory, before becoming the assistant Editor of the News in 1990.

Terry says his highlights from those days were helping bring color to newspapers in the early 90’s, redesigning the look of The News and at the same time working as assistant editor. Fulfilling the job of Sporting Editor of the News – with a stint as Sporting Editor at the Brisbane Sun during the Commonwealth Games of 1982 and also working as a Chief of Staff at the Sunday Mail.  However it is when you read between the lines of what Terry says that you find out where his highlights really lie – it’s not the career achievements (and as you see there has been a lot) that matters to him.  It is the people that have crossed his path and the ones that walked with him along the way that really matters (see below the long list of names he mentioned).  So I understand now why I always like to read what he writes – he is a passionate man with a warm heart and a way with words!

I said to Terry just recently that sometimes I wonder why you tucked yourself away in the country, when the whole world could have been your oyster.  His answer was; that he is back here through a range of circumstances, culminating in coming back to help out two days a week while Roger Manuel became ill.  That arrangement was in place from 92-98 when Margaret Manuel took over until she retired and then Andrew (son) took over the helm.

Terry was appointed the part-time Administration Officer of the Country Press Association of SA (organizing all SA country papers)all this whilst still also running his news agencies too, followed by a year of being the Editor of another country paper the Bunyip, so there was a lot of driving involved.   As it happened he was then again offered the job as the Editor of the Plains Producer in early 2005 and the “tree change” back to Balaklava was set in motion.  The Plains Producer won BankSA Best newspaper award (circulation under 5,000) in 96, 99,00,08,09 and Terry won an individual award in 2009 for Best Editorial writing for his columns.  Terry is turning 60 this year and admits to thinking about fishing a little more often in the future and who could blame him for that, although I’m not that sure – once a newspaperman always a newspaperman!

So here is a quote I think fits well here by Earl Warren;

“I always turn to the sports section first.  The sports section records people’s accomplishments; the front page nothing but man’s failures.”

Till next time,

Love Marie xxx   (c)

Footnote;

Here is a list of some of the people that Terry worked with and highly admired.  “Great journalists  like  Rex Jory and Tony Baker, editors like Ron Boland, Kerry Sullivan, Peter Wylie, (now chairman of Advertiser newspapers) John Hartigan (was editor of the Daily Sun in Brisbane – now Chairman and CEO of News Limited in Australia), Roger Holden (was the last owner of The News when it closed in 1992 – March, coming up to 20 years next year!). But also great mentors like the brilliant football writer Lawrie Jervis, – a doyen of sports writers but also a great reporter of politics and more – Marty Ryan, a great sub-editor, Alan Shiell, one of the best sports writers, Murray Nicoll, brilliant reporter, Geoff Jones, Doug Steele and Mike Quirk, all top Chiefs of Staff at The News and journalists who knew their craft and took so many young journalists under their wing (many of the names you see in the national media today were helped by these people at The News), photographers like  Ray Titus (just retired), Bert Stansbury, Ian Coventry, Michael Conry, Ray Grimmond, Dennis Rogers … and many more”.

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October 8, 2011 in Current Blog by mariejon

103 Everyone wants a bargain

Scoopon,  Cudo,  Our Deal and Catch of the Day are all the rage here in Australia – and what exactly are they one might ask?  Well it works something like this.  These website offer an item or a service at a special price,   often more than 50% discount and if enough of us buyers shows an interest the “deal is on”.  We have to buy it there and then and have a certain amount of time to use it usually 6 weeks up to one year depending on the fine print.  Yes do remember to read the fine print!!!

So this little black chook, yes moi, have been buying up a storm lately of these vouchers, they represent very good value for money.  Who can say no to a dinner for 2, entree, main course, dessert and a bottle of wine at a lovely restaurant valued at $150 and only pay half of that or less.  Or perhaps a haircut, style and colour with a massage and manicure thrown in with a glass of champagne and what about a round of golf with a couple of beers or fancy a spot of bowling for a family of four perhaps? Maybe a day at the zoo for the whole family with lunch, is more to your liking, as this acrylic painting which sold in Japan depicts.

I have been purchasing these deals both for ourselves as well as for gifts to family and friends and so far we had been very happy with our experiences.  That was until last night that is, lol.  It was my husband’s birthday yesterday so a lovely meal was in order and as I had previously bought a voucher with a Lebanese banquet for six, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use it.

We vaguely knew the name of the place but that was years ago and at that stage it was only a take away place.  So the fact that they had now added a restaurant sounded good.  As we are an adventurous family and like new experiences we thought we couldn’t go too wrong.  WRONG!

There were 5 of us in our car and our sons lovely girlfriend drove herself there a bit earlier as she had made a surprise pavlova (cake) for the birthday boy.  She went in and asked to put it in their fridge and then waited for us in the car park.  Poor sweetheart, her eyes were big as saucers by the time we arrived, well so were all of our eyes actually by the time we met up.

You see as we finally got to our destination and found the place we could not believe our eyes – this was still a “take-away joint”, although to give them credit it had undergone a major revamp.  It was now stark and white with a big food counter and a couple of drink fridges, bright neon lights, like a hospital would use and a blinking open sign on the window.  We saw a few customers standing around waiting for their order and some kids running around playing.   They had a total of 3 tables and 2 of those were pushed together in between the counter and the window to fit the birthday party!

Bryan and I were sitting in the car too stunned to speak, luckily our daughter made the call – she said:  “There is no way that we are going to have dads birthday dinner in there”, and with that we all burst out in hysterical laughter till we had tears running down our cheeks.  Then everyone pointed the finger at me of course and said I was banned from buying any more of these you beaut deals on the net!!  Mmm… how quickly they all forget all the other good ones we had gotten, lol but in this case they were right.  So off we went to another establishment known to all of us and a lovely night was had by all.

So in the end it certainly was not a cheap night as in fact we paid for two dinners and one that we will probably never use.  To add insult to injury today I waisted another deal as I forgot to pick the item up when I was in the vicinity and the petrol and time to turn around and go back wasn’t worth it.

So lesson to self – ease up on the deals Marie!

Here is a quote I think fits perfectly here, by Joyce Brothers;

“Credit buying is much like being drunk.  The buzz happens immediately and gives you a lift… The hangover comes the day after.

Till next time,

Love Marie xxxx                 (c)

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