Here is another blog written by freelance contributing writer , Helen Farnes hope you find it interesting.

For many centuries now, we have cultivated a very persistent artistic stereotype. The idea of the tormented creative, driven by inner turmoil and the horrors within to create works of transcendent beauty and significance is one with which we are all familiar [1]. Indeed, many believe that the world’s greatest creative works have been born out of pain or pathology [2] – without such motivating factors, this view holds, the ‘art’ is nothing more than a blank reproduction, devoid of deeper emotional meaning. While this is perhaps a rather too exclusive view of creativity, it is true that many of the world’s greatest artists have found ‘inspiration’ in the darker recesses of their souls. The apparent ‘link’ (or otherwise) between ‘madness’ and creativity is one which continues to fascinate[3]. What is less explored, however, is the idea that the relationship between pain and creativity is less causal and more progressive. There is considerable evidence to suggest that engaging creatively can help to heal the psyche in the aftermath of traumatic events.

Cause Or Cure?

In the traditional view of things, the tormented artist is driven by the trauma they have experienced to relive their experience over and over again through the medium of art. As their artistic talents grow, so the artist themselves diminish, until they seem devoured by their work, and (more to the point), by the pathological problems upon which their creativity must feed. It’s a romantic scenario, and one which fires the popular imagination – not least because we can seemingly apply it to real people. Vincent Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec, even Amy Winehouse – we enjoy the myths of these individuals as ‘troubled artists’, driven ultimately to their deaths by the fires which consumed them from within [4], as much as we enjoy the wonderful art they created. However, when studied closely, the art for which these people were known does not, actually, have a direct causal relationship with either their troubles or their tragic problems. Indeed, if looked at from another angle, it could be argued that their art kept these individuals back from the brink of disaster for many years, until finally trauma overwhelmed creativity. How much sooner would they have succumbed to their demons had not art expressed their problems and kept the demons at bay?

Creative Resilience

There is, in fact, a lot of evidence to suggest that creativity can play a vital role in resilience to and healing from traumatic events. The ability to express emotions through art is one which gives trauma survivors an effective ‘vent’. Those who lack this ability to safely express their feelings are at risk of developing more troubling ‘coping’ strategies, which could present a danger to themselves or others. Substance abuse, for example, is common among trauma survivors [5] who lack safer outlets with which to deal with their emotions. Female victims of trauma in particular may find themselves on the wrong side of the law [6]. However, those who are blessed with creative tools have another way to explore and deal with the problems with which their trauma has left them.  Exploring one’s emotions through art allows one to process and express psychological baggage in a non-confrontational way. Art allows one to express and explore at one’s own pace, and in one’s own way. It helps us to engage with emotions which we may otherwise shy away from, and lets us bring those dark, gnawing things out into the light, where they cannot hurt us. It can bring us greater self-awareness, and may even speed the process of healing.

Step By Step

Creative intervention and therapy will not, of course, work for all trauma survivors. The creative process is an intensely personal one, and not everyone will be able to express themselves creatively in a manner conducive to their own healing. Nor should creative arts ever be considered an isolated ‘cure-all’. However, when used in conjunction with other kinds of therapy, giving trauma survivors the opportunity to express themselves creatively can be of enormous help [7]. Had the likes of Van Gogh, Winehouse, and other troubled artists not had their art to help them, they arguably would have succumbed to their demons far earlier than they did. Had they had help in addition to their art then – who knows? – they may have led happier, calmer, and healthier lives.

[1] James White, “Suffering For Their Art: The Most Tortured Artists In Film History”, Empire, Nov 2014

[2] Kimbriel Dean, “Is Pain The Key To Good Art?”, Ignite, Mar 2013

[3] Ian Sample, “New study claims to find genetic link between creativity and mental illness”, The Guardian, Jun 2015

[4] Van Gogh Gallery, “Van Gogh’s Death”

[5] National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “Making The Connection: Trauma And Substance Abuse”, Jun 2008

[6] Jennifer Talley, “Context Matters: The Impact of Trauma, Culture and Policy on Women’s Health”, Rehabs.com, Apr 2015

[7] Family and Youth Services Bureau, “Calm Through Creativity: How Arts Can Aid Trauma Recovery

Is your child being bullied at school? Childhood bullying is unfortunately a widespread problem and faced by many of today’s youth.  According to the Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study, 27% of students from year’s four to nine were bullied frequently, every few weeks or more during every term. The bullying that is endemic in schools most often takes the form of offensive teasing and being the victim of lies designed to damage reputation.

Previous generations could find a safe haven in their home but young people in the 21^st century have the added threat of cyberbullying so if they choose to use social media to chat with their friends they are also at risk of ‘trolling’. The same researchers found that people who bullied others at school would also bully online – although less common than face to face bullying, 14% of students experienced cyberbullying and 7% experienced both.  The most frequently used mediums to bully someone online are MSN Messenger, social networking sites, texting and email.

Usually the bully and their intended target know each other and may even describe each other as ‘friends’.

The person on the receiving end of the negative treatment may end up feeling anxious or depressed as a result as well as being isolated and lonely. There are also physical side-effects of bullying, like upset stomach, disturbed sleep and increased susceptibility to infection. This is because the child is pumping out extra cortisol, a stress hormone that raises blood pressure and pulse while suppressing the immune system.

If your child has become the victim of bullying, if their grades are slipping, they are skipping school or you think their mood is low, art therapy is a way you can help them release those negative tensions and start to feel good about themselves again.

What is Art Therapy

Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses art as a method of expression so that a person can communicate how they feel through painting and drawing. The approach is based upon psychoanalysis – a technique by which a person accesses his deepest held impulses and instincts and acknowledges them even if they are considered unacceptable. Repressed emotions can manifest into psychological problems so recognizing underlying feelings in important in maintaining good mental health and balance. Art therapy could be described as a symbolic language, that is, experiences that are too complicated or frightening to describe in words can be described more easily through the use of pictures. Just as Freud – the father of psychoanalysis – was able to interpret a patient’s true feelings and motivations through dream symbolism, the same can be done through picture symbolism.

Art can bring out the hidden desire for revenge against the bully or help the artist’s self-esteem by giving him an outlet to bring colorful creations to life.

Art therapy is often used for children who are victims of child abuse; physical, sexual, emotional or verbal and who may be suffering from mood disorders, attachment disorders and behavioral problems. As victims of bullying are also subject to emotional and verbal abuse – and sometimes physical abuse – this makes art therapy an ideal form of therapy for them too.

Art allows traumatic memories to be communicated on paper or other media and is particularly useful in children who find it difficult to talk about what has happened to them. Nurturing their creativity and expressing themselves through art can encourage some children to verbalize their experiences when they previously didn’t.

Is Art Therapy Effective?

Art therapy is an effective strategy for preventing anxiety caused by bullying and can be used as a way to explore self-empowerment methods. Edith Cowan University reported on a 10 year old girl who was psychologically affected by bullying and had started to skip school because she was worried she would experience more bullying. She was given six, directed art therapy sessions with one follow up session to encourage her to express her fears and worries about being bullied. She also saw a child psychologist before and after the art therapy intervention to get a measure of her emotional state pre and post treatment. After she had completed the course, she reduced the number of times she skipped school, had a greater opinion of herself and improved relationships with her family members, according to her own estimation and the opinion of her mother, the school principal and the child psychologist.

Art therapy can also be utilised by a child who is displaying bullying behaviour as an outlet for expressing negative emotions in a safe way instead of expressing them by intimidating others. This approach is increasingly being used by schools to prevent bullying from occurring in the first place.

References:

Art Therapy, Children and Interpersonal Violence, Psychology Today, accessed December 20, 2015, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/arts-and-health/201310/art-therapy-children-and-interpersonal-violence

Bullying and Cyberbullying Facts, Queensland Government, accessed December 20, 2015, https://www.qld.gov.au/disability/children-young-people/bullying/facts.html#common

Physical Effects of Bullying, Kwik Med, accessed December 20, 2015, http://www.kwikmed.org/physical-effects-of-bullying/

Matthews, F. (1998). A Case Study : A Short Term Art Therapy Intervention For A Child Victim To Bullying, accessed December 20, 2015, http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1449

Forest, Melanie (2006), Children who Bully: A School Based Intervention Using Cognitive Behavioural Art Therapy, Concordia University, accessed December 20, 2015, http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/8960/

Lyndal Bond et al, Does Bullying Cause Emotional Problems? A Prospective Study of Young Teenagers, BMJ 2001;323:480, accessed December 20, 2015, http://www.bmj.com/content/323/7311/480.short

This has been a busy week in the art studio as usual, still I try to post at least one post every day on social media to keep my profile up and also to have fun and interact with my lovely friends both from real life and new made in cyberspace!

If you would like to follow me on the other media platforms here are some links which you can either copy and past or just click on the highlighted names;

Instagram; http://instagram.com/marie.jonssonharrison   Pinterest; http://www.pinterest.com/artnaive/  Facebook ; https://www.facebook.com/Naiveartbymarie  Twitter; https://twitter.com/Naiveview so come on down and be part of the fun!

INSTAGRAM

I find these days that Instagram is ticking along nicely without the annoying ads and popups seen on Facebook so firstly here are a few of my post from there.

CERAMIC AND MOSAIC SCULPTURE

Then there was the Carrots and Peas artwork a sculpture made out of ceramic and mosaic posted with this quote;

“Life is not like a box of chocolates.  It’s more like a jar of jalapenos.  What you do today might burn your ass tomorrow.”  ~Author Unknown

FUN WEEKEND

We did also have a most enjoyable weekend down at Hindmarsh Island staying with good friends and taking part in the annual Yacht Challenge.  Here is our efforts in dressing up as The Sopranos!

ARTWORK

Pottering of the Port artwork always receives a lot of attention and has also made it into quilts and duvet, shams and pillowcases made by ARTnBED selling in New York and Israel as well as on the internet.  My quote for this artwork was;

“Remind yourself it’s OK not to be perfect!”

I couldn’t agree more with that as we often put too much pressure on ourselves in that department.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and to you all.  Wishing you a lovely week.

Love Marie xxx

FOR EXPLORING MY WEBSITE HERE ARE A FEW LINKS

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.

As we are looking back over the week I thought this quote by Doug Larson may resonate;

“Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.”

As another year turns the corner I cannot help but be very thankful for the last one and wishing the New Year will also be kind to us all.  The most important thing for me is of course the health and wellbeing of my family and friends but if I could I certainly would extend that wish to all living people and animals big and small!  World peace, health, wealth and happiness for all that’s my wish.  Yes of course I am a dreamer,  that goes hand in hand with being an artist!  So I will try with my art to make you smile with my paintings and sculptures.  Perhaps also poke a little bit of fun and hopefully now and again also make you think about something that you hadn’t thought of before, perhaps something that you could also do to make the world a better place.

ART ON A CHOCOLATE BOX

I have had an amazing year work wise and it has ended on such a perfect note with my chocolate box (chocolate tin) by Sv. Michelsen for 2015 just having arrived on the market.  They are the leading chocolatier and collected by the Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark.  All the chocolate boxes (tins) are numbered and the first one; number #1 goes to the Queen Margrethe ll, number #2 stays with Sv.Michelsen which are third generation chocolatiers and number #3 goes to me the artist.  It goes without saying that the chocolate tastes divine and it’s all gluten free too.

2015 KUNSTDASE

This amazing privilege all came about last year after I had quite a few exhibitions in Denmark, organized by my European agent Eliane Kristensen who divides her time between France and Denmark.   At the Easter show for the Knud Grothe Gallery (one of the most prestigious galleries in Denmark) I was selected to be the featured artist and this then led to Sv Michelsen seeing my work for the first time and commissioning me to paint an image for the new 2015 chocolate tin.

MY ROYAL CONNECTION

If you look really closely at the painting you will find Princess Mary and Prince Fredrick and their 4 children clad in formal clothes with their sashes and tiaras on too.

It was so fun to paint and I would really like to thank both Eliane and Knud for this wonderful opportunity!

ADVERTISER NEWS ARTICLE

The newspaper article attached was on page 3 of the Advertiser on Boxing Day and from all the messages and emails, phone calls and text I got afterwards I can only assume that a lot more people sat down during the Christmas break and read the paper than they normally do during the week, lol!  So thank you so much everyone that was really special.  Very special too for me to have Hillivi beside me, it has been so much fun for us to get to model together.  So many people remark on how similar we look and now Hillivi calls it Twinning! LOL

ART BLOGS

The coming year is proving to be just as busy as the last one and therefore something has finally got to give I am afraid and that is the regular big blogs – you may have noticed for the last little while I have been a little lax with my artblogs and for that I apologize.  This year I will try another format.  I have found that my blogging takes up so much time and I have been struggling so hard to keep up with my painting and sculpting deadlines that eventually something had to give!  So from now on I will perhaps write a longer blog only now and again and instead keep you updated with photos and some words about what is happening in my world.  I look forward to still seeing your comments and sharing your worlds too.

QUOTES

So for now I leave you this year with this quote by Bill Vaughan;

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and Happy Holidays to you all.

Love Marie xxx

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.

It doesn’t take long for the year to roll around and before you know it is Christmas again!  This year as we often do we are going to see the spectacle Carols by Candle light in Elder Park, Adelaide.  It always inspires the creative process and I am sure many artists feel the same way.

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT

These days we celebrate Carols by Candlelight all over Australia in all the capital cities and smaller country towns and they are held on many different dates all throughout December.   This time my husband and I together with our daughter and her boyfriend are planning to attend.  It is great that this tradition has now spread around the world and people gather usually outdoors in parks and sing carols in choirs and usually accompanied by musicians.  Lots of wonderful artists both very famous and up and coming stars do the rounds of the different shows and they are compared for the most part by Radio and Television personalities here in Australia anyway.  The audience of course sing along and everyone has a candle or two which they hold up and sway from side to side with the music at times, a very atmospheric sight just glorious!

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

As a family together with my mum and dad we started going to the open concert after our son Kai was born and soon joined by the little miss Hillivi and we have only missed a few along the way.  In times gone by we used to arrive early in the afternoon to stake our claim on a spot close to the stage put down a picnic blanket with a basket full of delicious goodies and lovely wine.  It was always a few hours wait before the show began at sunset and we would take turns to stake our claim on the blanket whilst some of us would head up to the city to shop and walk about.  These days we arrive a little later but it is still something we look forward to very much.  However there was one year that nearly turned us off for life when the weather suddenly changed and turned so nasty we thought we would freeze to death.  We still talk about how the coldness that night was equal to shopping down Canal Street in New York at Christmas time, well nearly anyway!  This time the weather is supposed to be nice and warm so lets hope that is the case.

CERAMIC AND MOSAIC

It was this time last year that my art blog and painting featured the acrylic painting of Swedish Lucia which was used for Project mapping on the Swedish Embassy in Poland see this story 205 Projection Mapping & Art in Animation This week however the artwork is a wall based sculpture and made from handmade ceramic and mosaic and features a sing-a-long family around the piano, with some recognizable artists artwork on the walls! (If you look close, you will find Picasso and Miro among others)

Here is a quote I think fits well by Carol Nelson;

“Christmas is a time when you get homesick — even when you’re home. “

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and Happy Holidays to you all.

Love Marie xxx

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.

The Blog today is written by freelance contributing writer; Helen Farnes and I hope that you find the article both interesting and useful.

The Art of Mental Health

When you get into the flow of doing something that holds your whole attention, the experience can become almost like meditation. We can immerse ourselves into this relaxed state when reading, painting, gardening, even for a few moments while ironing or washing the dishes, but when it is a creative activity that catches us up, the benefits can be even greater. Art can be wonderful for your mental health.

The Creative Mind

Creativity doesn’t always have the best press when it comes to mental health, although we are increasingly keen to encourage people to be more creative. There are still many articles suggesting that the examples of great artists affected by mental illness show that being creative makes us much more susceptible to conditions such as depression. There is even some scientific evidence to back up claims that those of us who are more creative may also have a slightly increased chance of developing certain mental health problems, such as bipolar disorder, and that there may be a higher incidence of mental illness in the families of creative people. Some of the characteristics that we prize in a healthy creative mind, such as openness to experience and the ability to make unusual connections between apparently unrelated ideas, can also be seen in certain kinds of mental illness, combined with symptoms that can make these characteristics very problematic. However, this does not mean that creativity and mental illness must go together. There are plenty of creative people who have great mental health, and many people who are affected by mental illness who have never been particularly imaginative or artistic.

The Science of Creativity

Scientists have been working on understanding exactly what the apparent connection between creativity and mental illness means, where ideas come from, and how the creative process itself actually works, but figuring out how our minds work when we create might be even harder than creating a work of art. It is not as simple as the traditional idea of left-brain logic and right-brain creativity. The process of creation seems to involve a complex series of conscious and unconscious processes that take place in networks of neurons spread across the entire brain. These networks work to keep us focused, to reconfigure what we know and remember into newly imagined combinations, and to pinpoint the best and most important thoughts. Exactly how this results in a new poem or piece of art is still something of a mystery, but while we might not understand exactly what creativity does to our brains, we do know that art can help us to heal.

Art as Therapy

The link between mental health and art can actually be a very positive one. While some people fear that creativity can spark mental illness, the truth is that art can actually play an important part in helping people to manage these kinds of conditions. Art therapy is increasingly being used to help people who are affected by mental illness or who are recovering from issues such as drug and alcohol addiction or trauma. Art therapists encourage their patients to express themselves through a variety of forms, from visual art and writing to drama, dance and music. While these types of creative processes can often feel very cathartic and may act as excellent stress-relievers by themselves, under the guidance of a trained therapist or art psychotherapist, they can also be used as diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

How Art Can Help Your Mental Health

Why is this sort of therapy so successful? It turns out that producing art can help to shape our sense of self, a sense that therapists are often working with their patients to change and strengthen. It can help us to express our feelings and to process our experiences, even when we have suffered extreme trauma. Art can also provide a different way for us to communicate with other people, which can be particularly important when there are subjects that we find difficult to talk about. When we create, we can gain insight into ourselves, increase our self-esteem, and develop a greater sense of empathy for ourselves, and for those around us. We learn to see the world from other perspectives.

Artists Healing Themselves through Creativity

Although these benefits of creativity have only been recognized by therapists relatively recently, many artists have been aware of them for years, and there are some interesting examples of people, like Agnes Richter, whose embroidered jacket is preserved by the Prinzhorn Collection in Germany, who expressed themselves creatively while experiencing mental illness. Now that the value of art for mental health has been recognized, these types of creative works are no longer shut away of ignored. Instead, they can form part of therapy, and be celebrated in exhibitions like the annual MIFQ show in Brisbane.

Links on Art and Mental Health:
1. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s TED talk on Flow, the secret to happiness
2. The Scientific American explores The Real Link Between Creativity and Mental Illness and the Real Neuroscience of Creativity
3. Everyday Creativity in Psychology Today
4. The Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association explains What is art therapy?
5. Agnes Richter’s jacket at the Prinzhorn Collection
6. The Queensland Mental Health Commission reports on how Creativity Shines at Iconic Brisbane Art Exhibition

So on the theme of health at the end of Helen’s article I thought I would add just a little humor to the blog with this great quote from James H. Boren;

” I got the bill for my surgery. Now I know what those doctors were wearing masks for.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and enjoying life.

Love Marie xxx

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.

I was really thrilled to be asked if the image of one of my Public Sculptures could be used on the new “One Card” system (interconnecting library card for borrowers).  The SA public library “one card” network is connecting the systems of more than 130 public libraries across South Australia to let you borrow and return items wherever you go, using your current library card.  Users can borrow items including books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and children’s picture books with it.  They are also able to use an online reservation booking system or call in at any participating library across the state to pick up or drop of books.

PUBLIC SCULPTURE

The image used for the Balaklava Library is this book stack water feature sculpture that I was commissioned to do for the library (mid-north in South Australia), a few years ago.   I had of course lots of fun designing this sculpture and as I love both the water and books, so it was no stretch.   It is made from hebel and handmade ceramic and mosaic and took hours and hours to complete.   There are ceramic little fish in the water pond as well.  We left the decision of what books should be included to the local population and conducted a survey through the local paper, schools and library to find out the names of the most popular books and authors to be included in the artwork.

THE ART OF BORROWING BOOKS

The launch of the ‘one card’ was held last Friday and I was invited up to Balaklava as special guest together with many other dignitaries.  It was both a festive and informative event and I was really touched by the very warm welcome I received.  Balaklava was my home town for 18 years and it really feels like home to me!  (My heartfelt special thanks goes to Lyn Marshman, Kevyna Gardner, Helen Barr, Trish Langdon and Julie Brice and everyone else involved as well, Thank you all

These photos were taken by the Editor of the Plains Producer Les Pearson and were first published in their paper.

SCULPTURE GARDEN

There is also a mural on the wall at the entrance of the library as well as the water feature book sculpture which is set in a little garden and was created in memory of Des Ross in recognition of his service to the local area as well as Australia.  Des was both the President of the Local Government Association as well as the Australian Local Government Assoc., and a board room in Canberra is named “The Des Ross Room” in his honour.

Here is a quote by Charles Medawar that I think fits perfectly here;

“Librarians are almost always very helpful and often almost absurdly knowledgeable.  Their skills are probably very underestimated and largely underemployed”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and also borrowing books!

Love Marie xxx

If you would like to see some art blogs about other Public Sculptures here are some links;109 Stories behind the Wall and121 Volunteers our Backbone and  128 Sculpture and Women

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.

I am a bit lost for words actually as this is the biggest break in the blogging since I launched my artist website, so with nearly 2 months away from writing I feel slightly lost, lol.  I have been back at the easel painting furiously for the last few weeks though as I have some pressing deadlines that had to be met.  I have just finished one of my painting commissions but still have several artworks still to do, so I am sneaking a little bit of time from one creative process to furnish another.

This artwork is handmade ceramic and mosaic and is called Travelling Cats, which fits this art and travel blog perfectly I think.

ART AGENT AND NAIVE ART EXHIBITION

Anyway I will start by sharing the reason for my absence and it starts with our very hectic but wonderful trip to Europe.  My husband and I had 5 weeks overseas and the pace was frantic at times.  We had originally planned a trip to India this year but as our daughter and boyfriend were going to Greece and invited them to join us our plans were changed.  As it was things snowballed from there as I was also invited again to the Naive Festival in Katowice Poland and to come and stay with my lovely European art agent in Copenhagen.  Then of course there were other places we wanted to see as holiday makers and other art business to attend too.

ARTISTIC ITINERARY

To give you some idea of the places we traveled to here is the countdown; Dubai,  London, Milan, Cinque Terra (Italy), Florence, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Krakow & Katowice (Poland), Vienna, (Budapest, Belgrade) Bucharest (Romania), Sofia (Bulgaria), Athens, Rafina, Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul and then back to Dubai for another 3 days and then home to Adelaide Australia again!

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

Some of the countries and cities I had of course been in before over the years but others were completely new to us and every one of them had something new to offer and was a delight to explore.  Very important for the artist inspiration to explore new horizons and I hope to share some of the travelling stories in future blogs and artworks.

Here is a quote I think fits rather well here by Susan Heller,

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.”

Till next time happy painting, sculpting and travelling.

Love Marie xxx

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.

Still life painting is an old type of art that was here even before the development of modern day technological systems such as photography. This is an art that involves drawing an image as it appears in life. It involves several hours of sitting because the artist wants to get a good view of the object he is drawing throughout the session. Many such paintings are costly because of the effort that goes into producing the pieces. Still life paintings always have the painter’s personal touch because different people will see different things in the same object.

A Painting of the Same Object Might Look Different Depending On the Artist

Because different artists look at things differently, it is important to note that although the obvious features on a still life painting may be the same, the finer details will mostly vary depending on the way the artist in question looks at the object. The size of the painting is a major point of departure when looking at works of different artists. When an object is done in real life size, the images may be slightly similar even though it is never easy to get accurate measurements considering that the artist has to look at the object and draw using his or her free hand. This only means that paintings of the same still life object by different artists will vary in size.

NAIVE ART

This particular painting is one I did rather early on in my art career just after I had been discovered by Elders Fine Art Gallery.  Jim Elder commissioned me to paint it for their invitations and had asked me to paint a beautiful vista!  Lol in those days I was befuddled by that request as I had no idea what a vista was, but I soon got up to speed with the language of art and loved getting immersed in the view and the flamingos.

Things That Determine the Value of a Good Still Life Painting

Besides the object in question, there are many other things that determine the value of a painting. The kind of paint used is one major factor. There are mainly two kinds of paints that many artists use. Water based paints and oil based paints. Water based paints are natural paints mixed with water. This however makes them difficult to maintain over longer periods of time especially if the painting is not framed using protective material. A simple spill of water on the painting could completely damage the painting. Oil paintings on the other hand are more durable because they are not easy to wash of. This means that they can survive longer especially if kept in protected environments. This is the reason most of the greatest still life paintings were done using oil paints.

The Purpose of a Painting Also Adds Value to the Piece

Artists make paintings for various reasons. A piece of still life painting often resonates with a certain group of people depending on the message that it sends. People have used paintings to promote campaigns, pass information, create awareness and in other instances to express their inner feelings. All these purposes have a major impact on the painting. Considering that art is always about passion, it takes a passionate feeling from the artist to capture the mood in the still life object in question. That is why some paintings turn out so memorable and emotional than others. Some of the most famous paintings in still life are those that have so much emotional sentiments. The sentiments that such paintings evoke, also contribute to making them more valuable and costly.

How to Sell Still Life Paintings

There are many art galleries that exhibit still life paintings. When one needs to buy a piece from such galleries, there are important things to consider. Many will look at the size of the painting and its originality. Every art lover wants to have an original piece that they can take pride in owning. The material used to frame the painting can also influence the cost of a piece and should always be considered.

So I wish all of you art lovers out there a wonderful time viewing all the different types of art and really enjoying the experience, us artists would like to think it adds value to your lives.

Here is a quote by Henry Ward  Beecher, that I think fits perfectly well here:

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all.

Love Marie xxx

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

This photo was taken for ARTnBED and features my painting “The True Colors of Hindley Street” which was chosen for the launch of the ARTnBED in New York.  It also features us – mother and daughter together modelling and that was lots of fun to do.  It is something my daughter Hillivi and I have done a few times now and for me that is a real privilege.

THE ART OF MODELLING

We just did a fashion parade together at the Burnside Village shopping centre for the Womens and Children’s Hospital Foundation, for Mothers Day.  To combine models with their children for this occasion was an idea from my good friend Christina Angus the Event Manager and then helped along by Tanya Powel Model Agency and a lot of hard work and coordination by  Elisabeth and Adam from Mostly Kids Model Agency.

Christina had for years suggested I hit the catwalk again as had a couple of my model agencies over the years but I have just been way to busy and the timing was never right.  However the chance of working with babygirl was the sweetener to the deal so finally it all came about.  A lot of you know about my former career and background as Australian Model of the Year, but if you want to read more here are some Modelling Stories

TREND IN OLDER MODELS

The trend in older models coming back to work is really thanks to the baby boomer generation who wants to see themselves represented, which has sparked the new trend of using older models.  I think that is fair enough really, as a girl of 14 just does not look the same in the clothes as someone more mature.

The other benefit of hitting the catwalk was catching up with my past model friends all gorgeous and lovely girls who time has been very kind to, and I look forward to seeing them all soon again.

ART AND PAINTINGS

The upshot of this is that I have joined Hillivi back on Tanya Powel Model Agency’s books after years away, lol, strange how life goes in swings and roundabouts!  I am only available for the occasional job though as my art and painting comes first.  Working with my daughter has the added bonus that we take over the role of stylist from each other too and oversee each other’s photo shoots.  Thought I would share some shots I did the other day for the model website which was lots of fun with Hillivi and the wonderful photography of Greg Schwark. This all is wonderful inspiration for me for future artwork and more naive art images to come.

ART AND MORE

Last week was a whirlwind of modelling assignments and art as we had to fit in my painting and Hillivi’s nursing as well as photo shoots for the paper, interviews, fittings, rehearsals and parades.

MISS UNIVERSE

On top of all that Hillivi had been chosen as one of the 18 South Australian finalists in the Miss Universe competition so she had a whole day of judging and rehearsals to fit in as well.  Apparently Hillivi missed out with the narrowest of margins on the chance to represent South Australia in the National competition but I really hope she decides to give it another go next year.  A prouder mother than me would be hard to find, lol but Hillivi is as gorgeous on the inside as the outside and I am a very lucky mum!

Hillivi is wearing a  gorgeous dress very kindly provided by Bridal on Pultney.

Here is another quote that I think fits perfectly well here by George Burns;

“You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU ALL!

Love Marie xxx

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.

Today I thought I would share with you some of the pictures taken at Danish art exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The naive paintings show is at the Galerie Knud Grothe and on until the 4^th May.

This acrylic on board painting below is called Viva La Nudie Rudie which just sold the other day.  It features the Adelaide Rundle Mall during one of our Festival of Arts that happens each year.  The people running through the mall were painted in bright block colours and were part of a French performance troupe that visited Australia as part of the Festival and were completely nude apart from being covered in a bright coloured paint.  Part of their performance was to run through the city where they were unfortunately arrested by the police for public indecency, being naked in a public place, lol.  The South Australian police obviously had no sense of humour and certainly did not understand art!  I however took great delight in this spectacle and it inspired at least 2 paintings on the subject.

GALERIE KNUD GROTHE

This exhibition is with a very prestigious  art gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark called Galerie Knud Grothe and this Easter Exhibition is the 30 year celebration of this Naive Art show.  Knud does not do things by half so he had a Jazz Band playing, chocolate eggs by Michelsen and served lots of red wine!

CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS IN DENMARK

Gallery Knud Grothe was established in the 1970’s and is still going strong exhibiting a rich mixture of contemporary art from around the world as well as Denmark of course.  Knud says his favourite genre of art is naive paintings and he has a yearly exhibition at Easter showcasing the naive artists in his gallery.

There are so many wonderful artists in this show it is impossible to feature everybody or even to feature my favorites, as there are lots.  So all I can offer is a little snapshot of the exhibition and hope that you enjoy the wonderful work of these Danish naive artists.

ARTISTIC HISTORY

I have shared with you in another artblog that I have recently had some other art exhibitions in Copenhagen, Denmark and you may be forgiven to think that it was  GALERIE KNUD GROTHE I was exhibiting with, but no it was some other gallery and if you fancy you can read about one of them here;   177 ART EXHIBITIONS IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK & SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Also here are a couple of blogs about Knud and his incredible generosity and the history of how my participation in this show came about; 182 GIVING PAINTINGS AS GIFTS and 180 ART AND THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS and 193 NAIVE ARTIST Walther Schaldemose

ARTS AND QUOTES

Here is a quote I love about skipping which also reflects what I think about Naive art.

“Skipping is inner joy meets outer joy.”

(Jessi Lane Adams)

My husband once told me that skipping is unbecoming for a woman past 40 but really I couldn’t care less I do it anyway!

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

Love Marie xxx

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.

One of the more pleasurable occurrences for me as an artist has been when my work has been used for either a cover of a magazine or a wine label.  There is just something so special when you see your work in print and of course it has the added benefit of being seen by more people than just hanging on the wall.  If you want to see one of the magazine covers I am talking about use this link; 112 Artlink Magazine

AUSTRALIAN ART AND CHILE WINE IN DENMARK

So it was with great delight that I discovered that Gallerie Knud Grothe had decided to make a wine label of my painting “The Dane & the Tassie Devil” for the opening of his art exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark.  The wine this time is a product of Chile, instead of the Australian wine labels my art has appeared on before.  Here is a bit about the exhibition if you fancy a look; 218 European Easter Art Exhibition

AUSTRALIAN WINE LABELS

I have had the privilege of doing a few wine labels before; my first was in 1997 for a wonderful boutique winery in the Polish Hills of Clare Valley called Wilson Vineyard.  At that time it was run by John Wilson who apart from fabulous wines also had a penchant for art.  John had since 1988 commissioned a different artist to design and paint a new label for the Polish Hill River Riesling label – the exterior artwork compliments the art within.  The year I was chosen I was asked to do 2 labels one for the Riesling and another for their fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon.  I have to tell you that the wine is to die for and there were fringe benefits to this job.

PAINTINGS ON MAGAZINE COVERS

In any case that year’s wine was great and the wine labels well received, so much so that we even made the cover of the Grapegrower & Winemaker Magazine which in wine circles were quite an honour.   In 2000 John was one of the handful of Clare winemakers who led the screwcap revolution. Whilst many were hedging their bets John decided to dedicate his entire production, reds and whites, to the screwcap closure in 2001 and never looked back.

In the year leading up to 2000 I was again commissioned to do a painting this time for a book about Port Adelaide and it’s history called Port Adelaide – Tales from a “Commodious Harbour” authored by John Couper-Smart, realization by Christine Courtney who also commissioned the painting and were one of the driving forces in this project.

MARITIME PAINTING ON A WINE LABEL

This painting was then also made into a wine label for the Friends of the South Australian Maritime Museum and had a limited bottle number of 500.  Delicious 2000 Shiraz Cabernet this time.  Maybe this is how I have gotten a taste for red wine – it’s my art and the wine labels fault!

Writing about wine on this day, Good Friday is probably quite fitting too, seems to be a strong feature of the bible and religious ceremonies.

Here is a quote I like about my favourite wine with added bubbles Champagne – by Napoleon Bonaparte and  we all know he had both victories and defeats.

“In victory, you deserve Champagne. In defeat you need it”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all.

Love Marie xxx

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

This Saturday the 12^th April is certainly a celebration for me, not only is it my gorgeous daughter Hillivi’s birthday it also is the opening of another art exhibitions with my art in Europe.

GALLERIE KNUD GROTHE

It is with the very prestigious gallery in Copenhagen, Denmark called Gallerie Knud Grothe and this Easter Exhibition is the 30 year celebration of this Naive show.  Knud does not do things by half so there will be a Jazz Band playing, chocholate eggs by Michelsen and they will be serving lots of red wine!  Such a shame I will not be able to attend in person, but I will be going there after the show finishes so at least I will be able to see this gallery first hand.

CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS IN DENMARK

Gallery Knud Grothe was established in the 1970’s and is still going strong exhibiting a rich mixture of contemporary art from around the world as well as Denmark of course.  Knud says his favourite genre of art is naive paintings and he has a yearly exhibition at Easter showcasing the naive artists in his gallery.

NAIVE ART IN DENMARK

There will be 300 paintings on show from 44 different Danish Naive artists, a couple of Swedish artists, one French and me!  So with all this wonderful talent I was very thrilled and humbled to have my painting called “The Dane and the Tassie Devil” on the invitation.  The talent among naive artists is incredible in Denmark some of the best I have ever seen, so it is wonderful to be in such company and I hope that I will be able to meet some of them in real life later on.

THE DANE AND THE TASSIE DEVIL

In this artwork you will find if you look closely Prince Fredric and Princess Mary on the sailing boat dressed up to the nines with long dresses, sashes and tiaras, just the type of gear any Royal worth their salt would wear for a relaxing summers sail trip.  I feel sure the Royals will share the joke with me as they seem such a down to earth type of couple which is reflected in everything they do.  As I paint I make up a little story in my mind so to me the paintings comes alive and I can feel what the characters are thinking and feeling.  That is how I amuse myself and enjoy every day of my life in the studio.  I guess as an artist you do have licence to be a little bit eccentric, well that is what I tell myself anyway.  I daydream about the reactions of the audience that views my work and hope that they have a little chuckle and laugh, spreading a little bit of happiness is my aim, lol.

ART GALLERY IN DENMARK

Charlottenlund is one of the most affluent suburbs in Copenhagen and got it’s name from Princess Charlotte Amalie, she is the daughter of King Frederick lV and the sister of King Christian Vl who rebuilt the Gyldenlund Palace in 1733 and named it Charlottenlund Palace after her.

DANISH CELEBRITIES This suburb Charlottenlund is also the home to Danish celebrities and corporate executives and lots of other wealthy individuals and families, the suburb has lots of gorgeous ocean views and most of the mansions and estates are around the Strandvejen (Beach Road).

ARTISTIC HISTORY

I have shared with you in another artblog that I have recently had some other art exhibitions in Copenhagen, Denmark and you may be forgiven to think that it was  GALERIE KNUD GROTHE I was exhibiting with, but no it was some other gallery and if you fancy you can read about one of them here;   177 ART EXHIBITIONS IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK & SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA Also here are a couple of blogs about Knud and his incredible generosity and the history of how my participation in this show came about; 182 GIVING PAINTINGS AS GIFTS and 180 ART AND THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS and 193 NAIVE ARTIST Walther Schaldemose

Here is a quote I think fits well here by William W. Purkey;

“You’ve gotta, dance like there’s nobody watching, Love like you’ll never be hurt, Sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth”.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and maybe just drinking red wine!

Love Marie xxx

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

The Art of Golf is a strange title really for someone like me to write about as I must confess that at golf I am hopeless, lol but I do have a lot of fun anyway.  Perhaps even more fun than actually playing the game was painting golfers in this naive artwork in acrylic on canvas board of some golfers who perhaps unlike me know what they are doing.

My experience with golf is very limited to a few rounds in my teenage years with my dad and then recently with our son Kai and his girlfriend Samantha.  My husband and I in anticipation of the planned golf day even got ourselves a set of clubs, second hand from a market but they seemed in good nick and were bought for a song!

PAINTING INSPIRATION

So the golf day arrived and we even had a motorized buggy for the 18 hole golf (Par 5) course and our teachers were Kai (who had played quite a bit in his high school years) and Samantha.  What probably should have taken them a few hours to get around the golf link took nearly the whole day as I managed to hit the balls in every direction with ducks flying for cover that was, if I even managed to hit the balls at all.  On top of this my son points out time and time again trying to hold his frustration in check; “that golfers do not follow through with their legs and do a high kick like a can-can dancer at the end of every golf stroke”.  And neither do they follow through with their tongues outside the mouth, so it is obvious that I still have a lot to learn!  Who knew!  And there I was thinking I was starting to show some good form.  Luckily we had our lunch packed so there was a highlight to the day, and eating is something that I am good at!

Our second attempt went a little better; no change in either the leg or tongue but this time the course were only Par 3 with a shorter 18 holes and no ducks for me to maim either which Greenpeace will be happy about.

MORE PAINTING IDEAS

My only other connection to Golf was in my modelling days when I was just starting out and had a couple of days on the golf course during a televised tournament with the golf stars of the day.  I guess the job would be better described as a promotional one and my brief had been to try to get as much air time as possible wearing a T-shirt with the “brands” logo on it and shorts.   Long time ago now so I don’t remember what I was advertising but I do know that I they were very pleased with my efforts as I turned up quite frequently on the TV.  Seems to me I should have concentrated a little more on the game and perhaps then I could have learned a trick or two from the overseas golf stars that were here that time.

GOLF QUOTE

So here is a quote I think fits well here by Nubar Gulbenkain;

“It is more satisfying to be a bad player at golf.  The worse you play, the better you remember the occasional good shot”.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and perhaps golfing.

Love Marie xxx

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.

This week was going to be the one where we finally got to see the Rolling Stones live! Ever since I remember I have loved the Stones, the bad boys of “sex, drugs and rocking roll”.  Well that is before they finally grew up a couple of years ago and decided to kick the bad habits and got healthy.  This  painting was one I did for one of my Japanese art exhibitions in Nagoya and sold to a keen Rolling Stones fan.  The distinctive Rolling Stones big lips logo was designed by John Pasche, was introduced in 1971 and as my naive art exhibition was primarily Cats and Dogs for this show I added some cats to the homage.

ADELAIDE STONES CONCERT

The tickets for the Adelaide concert sold out in minutes and it was just through pure luck that we got some by trawling through the ticket site where only single seats were available.  One seat here and one seat there however we were not to be outdone and had 2 computers set up where we opened page after page looking for 2 tickets in the same area.  And when you are looking at some 50.000 seats in areas numbered from 100 – 500 and then alphabetic rows that is not an easy task.

Well as luck would have it finally we struck gold well figuratively speaking and managed to get 2 seats immediately in front of each other, so we can technically still hold hands lol

WALL BASED ARTWORK

We also purchased at a fundraising dinner the framed Rolling Stones vinyl record and photograph plaque set to commemorate the concert in Adelaide.  Underneath that hangs my grandparents poster for their tivoli and if you want to find out more about that here are a couple of  art blogs; 20. Antonis Tivoli Art and 21. Life in a Circus Tent

Well that was until the sad news of Mick Jagger’s girlfriend fashion designer L’Wren Scott which has put the concert on hold for now.  As disappointed as we are I am sure everyone understands and empathizes with Mick, such devastating news for anyone to deal with.  We are hopeful that the Rolling Stones will announce another date later in the year.

CUTTING EDGE

The Stones formed in England in 1962 and were noted for their long hair and a blues feel to their rock and roll also an air of cutting edge and rebelliousness than that other famous and fabulous band of the same era -The Beatles.

HALL OF FAME

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and are on everyone’s list of the Greatest Artists of All Time with estimated album sales of more than 250 million dollars.  The Rolling Stones celebrated their 50^th anniversary in 2012 and last year embarked on a series of concerts in the UK.

BEST STONES SONGS

Whilst I think every one of the stones songs are great my personal favorites are the following; Miss you, Beast of Burden, Can’t get no satisfaction, If you start me up, Emotional rescue, Waiting on a friend, Let’s spend the night together and You can’t always get what you want.

So here is a quote by the Rolling Stones I think fits perfectly here;

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.”

Till next time happy painting, sculpting and listening to music.

Love Marie xxx

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.

So those of you who read my art blogs regularly know that I met Richard Branson last year when he was in Adelaide, South Australia for a couple of days.  It was all organized by a reporter Paul Makin from Chanel 7 for their Today Tonight program and if you wish to recap on the crazy and very convoluted story of how we finally pulled that off here is a link 189 ART and Kissing RICHARD BRANSON

It is no secret that I have long admired Richard both for his entrepreneurships and also for the man that he is.  Meeting him was great and the fact that he genuinely seemed to like my art made it all the better.  However there is still a bit of unfinished business – I still want to paint one of Richard’s Virgin planes!

VIRGIN DREAMS

Dreams, we all have to have dreams don’t we, goals to work towards and ideas to inspire us?  Dreaming, well daydreaming is an essential quality for an artist and one of my dreams is to one day paint a plane.  Above you can see one of the ideas I have for a Virgin plane and I do have quite a few other ideas too of course.  It would be something to see my artwork in mega size and flying in the sky that’s for sure, I just love to see art on airplanes.

PROJECT MAPPING

I guess the closest I have been to having my work in a large scale was late last year when my paintings were used for project mapping in Warsaw, Poland.  Projection mapping or Video mapping also known as spatial augmented reality is when an image is enlarged to cover an entire building and then superimposed in a light show.  In my case in Poland my artwork was also animated so it was a moving image.  If you want to find out more about that and a bit of the history of Project mapping here is the artblog 205 Projection Mapping & Art in Animation

PUBLIC SCULPTURES

Well I guess also into the category of large scale would be the public sculptures that I have done over the years.  The largest public sculpture of mine spans 44 meters across and is 3 meters high sitting as you enter the town of Balaklava in South Australia’s mid north.  It was commissioned by the Wakefield Regional Council and took some 18 months to complete.  Dale Gathercole and my husband were an integral part as were many many volunteers from the local community who all helped to make it happen.

THE CENTENARY OF FEDERATION GATEWAY

The idea is that the whole sculpture looks like a Federation house, complete with roof and a veranda.  In the center are two six meter by three and a half meter walls, located at 22.2 degree angle to each other which are rendered to look like sandstone with red brick quoins on the corners and around the doors.

One wall represents 1901 and the other 2001.  In the 1901 doorway we see the back of a life-size woman, made from hand-made ceramic tiles and mosaic, strutting through the door in all her finery, long dress, hat and umbrella in hand.  Through the 2001 doorway, she emerges as the modern woman, complete with short skirt, sunglasses and a mobile phone.  This reflects the changes that our society has undergone during the last 100 years.

If you would like to find out a little more about that here is the link 109 Stories behind the Wall – Public Sculpture

RICHARD BRANSON’S PHONE CALL

So why not dream big I say you never know what awaits around the corner, maybe one day I will get a call from Richard Branson saying “Hey Marie, I’m sending my private plane over to pick you up – we really have to discuss your idea of painting a plane for me!”

Here is a quote I think fits well here by H.F. Hedge;

“Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare.”

Till next time happy painting or sculpting or daydreaming.

Love Marie xxx

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.

Funny thing about Facebook you find both old and new friends from around the world, some are only acquaintances whilst other come to mean much more than that over time.

ACRYLIC PAINTINGS

Here is one of my acrylic on board paintings from the Zoo series of naive art (most of those sold in Japan), anyway as you can see the painting has been joined by what seems to be a little blue Cookie Monster.  Well you are half right – that is Triki En El Mundo (Triki in the World) and somehow or another he is a friend of mine on Facebook, well who can resist when a cookie monster comes calling and wants to be your friend!

HAPPY ART

So I must say I was very intrigued why this cookie monster had his own Facebook page and I was seeing his post through my news feed often.  He seemed to be linked to a lady by the name of Arual Laura who also would appear with Triki from time to time.  Their posts were mostly in Spanish so I couldn’t quite follow everything that was said but what I did understand was that both Triki and Arual were very fond of art and culture. They had the same idea about Facebook as me, which is to use it to try to make people happy and put a smile on someone’s face.

ART AND THE INTERNET

Both Arual and Triki was also very complimentary about my art and so one day after Triki commented on my paintings and said “Always fascinated by your Art” I replied and told him that I was very fascinated by Triki and wanted to know all about him.

So this is what Triki En El Mundo- The Cookie Monster said to me;

“To make a long story short I met the Doctor Arual Laura through Internet.  I was living in Victoria, Canada with our friend Rob Agnew. The Doctor was just divorced and was feeling sad and lonely.  Rob and her wife Sheila used to speak with her through video conference to try to cheer her up.   She loved cookie monster and Rob put me every day in front of the camera to make her smile.  She seemed to have a crush on me, so one day Rob put me inside a box and sent me to Spain as a Xmas present with a short note that said;

“You are blonde, beautiful and you are alone, so I have decided to come to Spain to sleep with you and to take care of you”

Rob died 3 years ago and the Doctor put a picture of me on her Facebook as homage to him.  Her friends began to speak with me; I seemed to be lot of fun, a new picture every day.  Finally the sponsors of Barça football team met me as I am a Barça great fan and took me with them to Wembley for the final of the Europe cup in 2011.

I became famous and opened my own Facebook.  Since then I am here, supporting art and culture, having fun and travelling with lot of different people… everyone seems to want to take me round the world, I am quite a lucky plush toy, I always travel free. “

ART BLOG

So now you understand why I had to write a blog about Triki and Arual it is such a sweet story.   I hope one day that Triki can come and visit me in Australia but for now I will have to be happy that he was able to “join” me in some photographs at least.  When I asked if I could write a blog about them Triki also told me that he lives a life like anybody else.  He has 5 brothers at home and even a son – he is a single father as his girlfriend ditched him and has many cousins all over the world.

ART AND TRAVEL

He likes to travel with anyone who will take him around and has been to Morocco, Poland, France, England, Turkey, Czech Republic, Cuba, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, India and seen most of Spain.

Triki is also invited to all sorts of events as you can see from his pictures, weddings, marathons, concerts, cinema, theater, art exhibitions and as mentioned to the Wembley Europe Cup final between Barca and Manchester United.

Here is two quotes I think fits well here;

“The Word is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”

by St. Augustine and also;

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ” by Mark Twain

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and just like Triki cheering people up!

Love Marie xxx

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

For an artist Adelaide in South Australia is a wonderful place to live, it is a buzzing metropolis for the arts with various festivals and exhibitions and excitement.   We just manage to get over Christmas and then it starts again with the Adelaide Fringe which is the largest annual arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere.  It’s on for 24 days and nights and starts in the middle of February and spills into March – March itself is known as mad March as we then also get the WOMAD ADELAIDE which is a world music festival and also the a tad more highbrow Adelaide Festival where you can catch a performance like The Ring Cycle by Wagner.  Added to the mayhem of March is also Symphony under the Stars and the annual Clipsal 500 which sees the racing car drivers from all over the world descend on little old Adelaide to go round and round and round.  Mind you they arrive hot on the heels of the Tour Down Under which saw all the bikers fresh from Tour de France, who always seem to have to slog their way up impossible hills in 40 degrees of burning sun, their reward is to be celebrated and join in to all the festivities the city has to offer and that is plenty.

This photo was taken at the SALA award night by talented Adelaide photographer Julie Camilleri from Captured in Time Photography.

THE ADVERTISER BUSINESS SA CONTEMPORARY ART PRIZE

This sculpture is called “The Last Catch” and a little unusual for me as normally I am always doing colourful ARTwork, but sometimes it is nice to surprise the audience a little.  It was selected as one of the finalist in The Advertiser Business SA Contemporary Art Prize for the most outstanding work in any medium in another of the famous Adelaide Festivals called SALA which stands for South Australian Living Artists – so it is for those among us that are not dead yet! LOL and if you want to find out more about that Festival here is a link:

FRINGE FESTIVAL

In any case one of my personal favourite is the Fringe Festival, it is a little more grungy, less high brown and more edgy with performances from artists of all kinds from all over the world.  It usually features over 4,000 artists with more than 900 events that are staged in pop-up venues lanes, unused buildings, warehouses, parks, restaurants, theatres, hotels, art galleries and cafes.  What is on offer is EVERYTHING, you name it is there!

ART FORMS GALORE

Adelaide Fringe starts of with a free street parade and opening nights celebrations and parties and then you can choose from all sorts of contemporary work in all the art forms such as circus and physical theatre, dance, film, theatre, puppetry, music, visual art and design, cabaret and of course comedy.  I have previously told you about “The Old Fellow” Rod Gregory:  and now let me tell you about the young fellow Jon Bennett.  He is actually the son of our children’s school teacher Mr Bennett (as he was known to them) they both had Ray as a teacher in primary school and a sweeter are more caring teacher is hard to find.  Ray and his wife Mary are lovely people, very religious and always care for the underdogs and take in foster children and try to make a difference.  But as things happen in life things don’t always go according to plan and that is where Jon Bennett comes in – he is a master of storytelling and has you spellbound with his recollections of his life during the bad times and the good, all whilst having you doubled over in laughter.

COMEDY WITH A HEART

So below is my take on seeing his show the other night and if you get a chance to catch his show when he turns up in your part of the world I highly recommend it.

“Home grown comedian with HEART”

I was busting with pride the other night attending the packed out performance of comedian Jon Bennett son of local couple Ray and Mary Bennett of Pinery.  The show was called Fire in the Meth Lab and yes for some of us who know the history of that event it does sound very controversial and if you are easily offended it is best not to attend.  However for everyone else I really urge you to go as Jon has an incredible knack of taking you on a journey laughing most of the way but also tearing up which usually does not go hand in hand with comedy.  Jon whilst being small in stature has an incredible stage presence which has taken him across the world performing in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton as well as touring all around Australia Apart from having had a wonderful night what I took home from his performance was the fact that Jon loves his family very much and I hope they are very proud of him, they certainly should be.

Here is a quote I think fits well here by Mary Hirsch;

“Humor is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and laughing.

Love Marie xxx

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

Growing up in Sweden Valentine’s Day was called “Alla hjartans day” which means “Everyone’s hearts Day” and even though the day was probably more geared towards lovers it was also a day to reflect on love in all it’s forms.  The special day became popular in the 1960s and heralded from the American culture and was heavily promoted by Sweden’s flower industry.  This acrylic on board artwork is one I painted for a wedding present for some close friends, however I am sad to say their love did not last the distance, perhaps their vastly different backgrounds got in the way after all.

THE ART OF LOVE

But lets not dwell on that for all of us know that – you win some and you lose some!  We found when we arrived from Sweden to take up residence in Australia that Valentine’s Day was even more popular here and heavily promoted by the press in general and of course the card industry and stores and restaurants and the like.

So I think we can all be forgiven to think that it is a commercialized idea thought up by some clever marketing people from the USA.  Well that’s where we are all wrong!

THE ART OF THE ROMANCE

I was very interested to find out that it stems back to AD 496 and a priest Saint Valentine of Rome who went to prison for conducting weddings for soldiers who were not allowed to marry as well as showing kindness to Christians persecuted during the time of the Roman Empire.  He apparently signed a letter “Your Valentine” as a farewell before he was executed.  Trust an Italian man to be the first Valentine, I cannot say I am surprised, there is something so romantic about the Italians!

Not that all that sounds terribly romantic however the romance comes into the picture some centuries later in the 1300 England with Geoffrey Chaucer, as it was among his friends that “courtly love” flourished.  Geoffrey Chaucer was known as the father of English literature and proclaimed as the greatest poet of the Middle Ages.

ARTS AND CRAFTS

Courtly love was a medieval idea of expressing love and admiration and was done secretly between the members of the nobility, an experience between erotic desire and spiritual attainment but not as a rule practiced by husband and wife and was rife during the Middle Ages.  So it does sound more like an illicit affair would be the end result?  In any case this evolved by the lovers sending each other greeting cards with hearts, doves and little cupids which has become synonymous with Valentine’s Day and in the early days handmade with lace and ribbons.   Mass produced greeting cards came along in the 1900’s.  By the second half of the 20^th century flowers and chocolates became involved and then in the 1980 the Diamond industry saw the light so to speak and got us on to the idea of giving jewellery.  Oh, us girls have a lot to be thankful for!

Now of course with the internet we also have Valentine’s Day greetings in the form of E-cards and emails, it was estimated that 15 million Valentine’s Day E-cards were sent in 2010.

So I wish you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day spent with whoever is your love wether it is of the romantic variety or the gorgeous love between a parent and child, good friends or man’s best friend-your dog.  Love in all it’s forms should be celebrated I think.

Here is a quote I think fits well here by W.S. Gilbert.

“It’s love that makes the world go round.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and also loving.

Love Marie xxx

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.

This painting is the backstage version of what happens in the changing rooms during a fashion parade, it is part of a diptych I did on the subject close to my heart. As many of you know I was an international model (former Australian Model of the Year), modelling as Marie Jonsson (maiden name) after emigrating from Sweden with my family well before I started to paint for a living. Modelling is something that came about after I was a finalist in the then Beach Girl Quest held at Glenelg Beach each summer.

ACRYLIC PAINTING

In this acrylic on canvas board painting you will find Tanya with the stopwatch in her hand waiting for the right cue to get her models going through the curtains.  The male and female models are being helped by the Dressers and the running sheets for the models are on the walls.  The models are brushing up on the choreography as well as having a drink of champagne.  Tanya’s trusty assistant Michael is in the foreground with the hats and ties.  These days when political correctness has crept into our society, the models may not get a well deserved glass of champagne nor change all together and smoking is a thing of  the past.

MODEL AND BEAUTY QUEEN

The former beauty queen and model Tanya Powell had just opened her own modelling agency and was looking for fresh faces to add to her new agency and called me up after my photo appeared on page 3 in The News (the newspaper of the day, since closed down).  Of course I felt very flattered and excited and it was just a matter of time until I left my job and started to model full time. The TANYA POWELL MODEL AGENCY very quickly became the most successful modelling agency in South Australia and the only one that also has a branch in Melbourne which is also still going strong to this day, run by Tanya’s equally stunning sister Candy.  Tanya’s highlights includes managing and choreographing the Elders Woolboard fashion parades for 5 years in Perth, Adelaide, Queensland and the Victorian rural wool growing areas.  She has also produced and choreographed over 900 fashion shows throughout her remarkable 38 years in the industry.

There are many wonderful qualities Tanya possesses but the ones I value the most is the fact that no matter who or what she is dealing with she is always very warm and down to earth.  You won’t see any diva behavior from her nor any airs and graces but you will find a genuine person, beautiful both inside and out.

THE ART OF STAYING YOUNG

Just this week Tanya was interviewed on Channel 7’s program Today Tonight in reference to being in her early 60’s and still a knockout.  As she said she has never had any problems about disclosing her age, after all age is just a number and Tanya believes that good skin care, eating healthily, exercise and being happy is what has kept her looking decades younger than she is. She does have a rather unorthodox exercise regime though which includes walking around her hills property followed by her 2 dogs and her goats!

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

I also happen to know (insiders knowledge, lol) this fitness regime also includes tending to the prizewinning chooks, mucking out, changing the hay, watering etc, using shovels and a wheelbarrow.  Something I will just have to paint one day as I have never seen Tanya with a hair out of place and my imagination sees her doing this work in her Chanel suits or at the very least wearing last year’s George Gross and Harry Who’s outfit!

MORE PAINTING IDEAS

I probably wouldn’t be that far wrong anyway as one weekend when we still lived on our farm in Balaklava our house quests included Tanya and her husband Jack as well as Candy (Tanya’s sister)with her then partner  Bob “Bongo” Starkie (guitarist & backing vocalist in the 70’s band Skyhooks). The wonderful image that stayed in my mind is of Candy, a natural in the saddle, was riding my horse Rumor in a big circle in our paddock when Bongo went out and stood in the middle serenading her with Skyhooks songs and playing his guitar.  The fact that Candy was at the time wearing a $4000 dollar lime green Armani jacket and Bongo was in one of the most successful ever Australian bands Skyhooks are just mere bagatelles.

THE ART OF MEDIA

So Tanya Powell became my close friend and mentor many moons ago and oversaw the start of my career (as she is doing with my daughter Hillivi now) as well as managing me whenever I arrived home from interstate or overseas.  Tanya with a dance background choreographes and supplies models to all the major department stores, shopping centers, fashion labels, TV channels, for commercials, movies,  magazines and the like both here and in Victoria.

She also organized several overseas tours to Manila for a group of us models to do lunch time parades in some of the top hotels there as well as touring to other parts of the Philippines with the show.  The show was called Jungle Fever and we were courted by the jet set with their learjets, fancy yachts and champagne all under the watchful eye of our “mother hen” Tanya.

Those were the days!

Here is a quote I believe fits rather well here by Marie Stopes;

“You can take no credit for beauty at sixteen.  But if you are beautiful at sixty, it will be your soul’s own doing”.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all. Love Marie xxx

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.