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.

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.

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.

Each year before the Christmas season starts outsider artist Stefan Maguran as project manager organizes an outsider festival, it is and always has been a love affair of Stefan and his wife to which they have had to make sacrifices along the way to keep it going.  They believe it has been very worthwhile and plan to keep the show up and running for the next five years.

PAINTING PORTRAITS

This portrait painting was painted by Stefan himself and he surprised me with this as a gift when I came to drop of my paintings for this year’s show.  Wow what a lucky girl I am, such a generous thing to do and so much fun for me to have.  I was genuinely touched and felt very special, Thank you so much Stefan, you made my day, that’s for sure.  I really like the composition with my mosaics in the background with all the hearts and also with the text; far och mor, which in Swedish means Father and Mother (whom both are much loved by me)  Stefan also expressed an idea for a further portrait of me, something special he had in mind, so I will keep you posted on that.

FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY ART SHOW

Anyway this year is very special as it is the 5^th year anniversary show and it is free to participants and the public with artist from far and wide, this year the USA, France and Argentina are represented as well as the Australian contingent.

OUTSIDERS ART FESTIVAL

Stefan says;” From the onset the name Outsider Festival has caused controversy, as it is a name mostly used by Insiders to describe a certain type of work, rather than to describe people from the outside of the establishment. It has been named a low-key event by people getting tens of thousands of dollars from the public purse to organize similar events on a larger scale and with strict entry rules that are non-existent here. The festival has been marred by strange events such as one artist being asked by a well known gallerist ( no longer operating, sadly) to pull out on the first Saturday after the opening, another artist being threatened if he took part by one of his mentors.”

ART CRITICS

So as you can hear this festival it is not without it’s critics, which is another reason I LIKE to take part.  I like the idea that anyone who wants to can take part and the fact that Stefan puts the show on for the love of art.   I like the interesting artists and artwork on show and the library location makes it accessible to people who may not otherwise go to an art gallery.

I don’t strictly fit into the category of an outsider artist neither by the art critics’ categorization nor by Stefan’s either as for the most part the artists are unrepresented by a gallery as in my case that is clearly not the case.

OUTSIDER ART

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.

ART BRUT

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.

NAIVE ART

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 colorful and happy world.

Artists taking part this year:

Stefan Maguran, Marie Jonsson-Harrison, Jungle Phillips, Claudio Braier – Argentina, Jeff Roland – France, Edward Kingsbury III – USA, Mike Retter, George Pivas, Jeanette Nash, Frederique Albou, Liz Parkinson, Sunyata, John Douglas.

This show will be open from this week until 10^th December at the The West Torrens Auditorium

1 Brooker Terrace Hilton, opening hours as follows; Mon-Tue & Fri 10am – 6 pm, Wed 8am – 6 pm, Thu 10 am – 8 pm Sat 10 am – 4 pm Sun 1pm – 4 pm

Here is a quote I think fits well here by Alan Sherman;

“A “Normal” person is the sort of person that might be designed by a committee.  You know, “Each person puts in a pretty color and it comes out gray.”

So come along and see the show and perhaps I will see you there,

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 SALEand SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

As the date is drawing closer the organizers for this year’s Naive Art Festival in Katowice Poland are busy as bees setting up the new exhibition which opens to the public at the SZYB WILSON Gallery on the 15^th June and runs until the 18^th August 2013.

It is again pulled together by the charismatic Jacques Dubois from France and his association Fivan who work tirelessly throughout the year for this major festival, all designed to promote naive art around the world and in the city of Katowice which is the main sponsor of the Festival.

TANGO PAINTINGS

Each year they have a quest country featured and this year that is Argentina and this year the artists were also given a theme to paint for if they wanted, the theme was TANGO.  So it will be very interesting to see the many different artists’ interpretations of this famous Latin American dance.

AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK PAINTING

My acrylic on canvas painting called “Tango at Ayers Rock” features the Australian take on the subject, with the rock in the background the well heeled are enjoying dinner in the outback whilst watching a Tango Troupe from Latin America and also the Australian Aboriginals doing their Corroboree dance.  They are of course all joined by the Australian outback animals, kangaroos, wallabies, emus, bilbies, rabbits, camels, galahs, cockatoos, dingos and koalas.

GRAND PRIZE PAINTINGS

The poster this year is designed by Sema Culam from Turkey, as has won the Grand Prize of the Public in 2012. There will be more than 1000 paintings on show.  So really if you are in Europe or just fancy a bit of a trip, I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.  This is an amazing exhibition to lift your spirits and make you happy to be alive.

HUGE PRIVATE ART GALLERY

The gallery itself is the largest privately owned gallery in Poland and I would not be surprised if that is matched anywhere else in the world.  The building used to be a bus factory – so you can just imagine what size it would be to do that.  The outside area of this building holds a sculpture park as well with art as far as the eyes can see, and only 10 minutes to the city.

So here is some good advice for you budding artists out there;

“A fool-proof method for sculpting an elephant; first, get a huge bock of marble; then you chip away everything that doesn’t look like an elephant.”

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.

I am frantically painting away in my studio trying to meet the deadline for the Naive Festival in Poland.  Normally I can pretty much concentrate on my work but lately life, the universe and everything has gotten in the way.  Oh and I will write a blog and tell you all about that too, not happy Jan!  But today’s art blog is about 2  art exhibitions that I have opening this week in 2 different cities, well countries in the world.

ART EXHIBITION IN DENMARK

The first is in Denmark at a gallery called Galleri Naif and run by Mia Cara who is a Bulgarian naive artist herself,  this exhibition is in Islands Brygge in Copenhagen and runs until the 5^th of May and is called “Spring exhibition”.   Mia also runs a website if you would like to take a look at her own artwork.

ARTISHOP.DK

This exhibition was booked through my lovely friend Eliane Kristensen who I first “met” online through either Facebook or LinkedIn (I cannot remember which).  She started following my artblogs and making comments and we found that we had lots in common.  Eliane is a very interesting person, bubbly and vivacious full of “get up and go”.  She runs her own website called artishop.dk as well, which has art and jewellery and Eliane also writes articles for different publications as well as the internet.  Here is a link to her on Pinterest.

ART MEETING IN PARIS

Last year whilst my husband and I were travelling in Europe Eliane arranged a lovely dinner at a fabulous Parisian restaurant in Butte aux Cailles which is a most interesting part of Paris.  We were joined by my lovely friend Jacques Dubois who is the man responsible for organizing the Art Naif Festival in Katowice, Poland each year.  Elaine and I now refer to Jak as Mr Tornado (LOL with Love and Affection of course) as that is just what he is.  Jak is so full of enthusiasm and fun that he can hardly sit still and is the most stimulating of conversationalists.  Whilst Jak had not felt totally comfortable whilst writing English he had absolutely no trouble in making himself understood whilst talking and if there was a word here or there that we didn’t get, Jak would simply get up and do a  Marcel Marceau  impersonation.  I was therefore not surprised to find out that Jak in an earlier life had been a celebrated actor but these days he is a very astute business man with a great love of art.

So it goes without saying that we had the most wonderful night and dinner was followed by a stroll through this interesting part of Paris till we found a little cafe to have another drink and some coffees before finally saying goodbye.

EUROPEAN ART REPRESENTATIVES

It was really wonderful to meet my European art representatives and now firm friends in real life, just goes to show how the internet connects people and makes things happen.

ART EXHIBITION IN SYDNEY

So now to somewhere closer to home, well we are still talking 1300 kilometers from home in Sydney.  My other exhibition that opened this week was in Sydney at the Callan Park Gallery at Sydney University.  This one is called Naive art of Australia and features several other naive artists as well.

The exhibition has been curated by Nerida Olson who is passionate about art and is the Public Relations and Marketing Manager at Sydney College of the Arts, Division of Architecture and Creative Arts.

CALLAN PARK GALLERY

I was asked to exhibit at their Sydney gallery last year as well but at that time due to time constraint it wasn’t possible.  This show runs until the 2^nd of May, so I hope a lot of you Sydneysiders make your way there and have a look.

In this gloom and doom word, let us Naive artists put a smile on your face and get lost in our little rays of sunshine.

Here is a quote by Howard Ikemoto that I think fits well here which reminds us that we are all artistic – every one of us.

EVERYONE ARE ARTISTIC

“When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work.  I told her I worked at the college – that my job was to teach people how to draw.  She stared at me, incredulous, and said, “You mean they forget?”

Till next time,

Love Marie xxxx

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

Funny isn’t it this thing about being pigeonholed, fitting in under a banner or label.  Well I guess if truth shall be known I have never really fitted in anywhere with anything – always been a bit rebellious and found my own way.

DECORATIVE ART

So why should anything be different now with my Art – I have for the longest time been told that the way I paint was Naive and yes that label has fitted me pretty well – however as it has been pointed out to me many times the naive title conjures up a Nice and Pretty painting.  Yes some of my paintings and artwork are just that no doubt but often there is “more”.   The “more” for the most part, is that often there is a often a subtle message or should I say a commentary on the world I see around me, I poke fun at the world, just letting you the viewer know not to take yourselves so seriously.   Also just a gentle poke at myself at the same time not to sweat the small stuff which I have a habit of doing!

NAIVE ART

Some people also think that as an ex model I don’t fit the innocent naive label either, why my past profession should have any bearing on the way I paint I don’t understand.  Oh I do paint subject matters from my past but it’s not like we learned to paint in modelling school exactly!  The fact that one can remain innocent in the way I view the world and hope the world would be, is perhaps what saved me both as a street kid and later as an international model with the Australian Model of the year title many years ago.  In my world happiness reigns and everyone are “Happy as a pig in shit”! The title of one of my first paintings which I painted incidently because I was going through a crisis in my life and painting little pigs having fun made me forget my troubles for a little while.  Here is a link to that painting and the Art blog that goes with it; 33. Art & Dont worry be happy

SELF TAUGHT ARTIST

I am self taught artist and have never even taking an art class either unless you count my primary education,  where I was ridiculed by the teachers for not seeing perspective and not being able to draw and paint which lead to me not touching art materials again till my late 20’s.    Instead I left school at 14 when I ran away from home and never went back.  What I learned in those initial 8 months fending for myself made me street smart if nothing else.

OUTSIDER ARTISTS

So am I an Outsider Artist?  Again some so called experts say yes and some say no.  What seems to irk some people putting me into this category is the success I have enjoyed as an Artist.  As an Outsider artist you are not supposed to produce art to exhibit or for fame or monetary reward.

What these so called experts forget on this topic is that I painted for several years with a love and compulsion that I didn’t understand myself and I had no idea there was such a thing as Naive art or Outsider Art until it was eventually suggested by my father.  That was not mentioned for a long time as I just feverously painted every second I had spare, long before any thought of exhibitions or fame or fortune was even a glint on the horizon.

So what about the mental illness aspect – does an Outsider artist have to be mentally disturbed?  Well some ARE undoubtedly however you do find people in all professions dealing with mental illness and you don’t just classify someone who paints landscapes or photographic (realistic) portraits and has a mental illness as an Outsider artist, right?

CONTEMPORARY ARTIST

So what about the term; Contemporary artist, I have been classified as that as well.  But as usual the camps are divided by that too. Can a  contemporary artist paint colourful happy paintings for the main part and get her social commentary taken seriously, mustn’t they be all broody and deep with long explanations of what their art actually means.  Oh my, she hasn’t attended Art School either, fancy that – not a clone of an art teacher!  Now that is probably a touch mean of me to say and not entirely true as there ARE many wonderful art teachers out there I know, mentoring the pupils to be the best they can be without influencing them too much and taking away their individuality.   I just hope that the ones that thought I was terrible in school can see me now!

PASSION IN ART

To me Art shouldn’t be Rocket Science, Art should make you feel!  Feel something either for the subject matter for the artist or tweak some memory deep within.  Passion is good whether it is happy or sad, angry or give you the giggles, when you look at art and it stirs up a “feeling” any feeling then it’s good art in my opinion.  So perhaps the label I am most comfortable with is an Outsider Contemporary Naive Artist – yep perhaps that is the label for me!!!

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

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

Now I would like to invite you to a wonderful exhibition of so called Outsider Artists – some more so and some less so!  The show is on until the end of December.

ART EXHIBITION OPENING

Official opening

Sunday, 1

December

2:00 PM

The West Torrens

Auditorium

1, Brooker

Terrace, Hilton

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.

Even during this economic downturn in Europe the members of Fivan, Szyb Gallery and Jacques Dubois particularly, has manage to pull off the impossible – another successful Naive Art Festival in Katowice, Poland.   As this exhibition is continuing into August I sincerely hope that you will try to some and see it.

This painting “Playing hide and seek” was in last year’s festival in Poland and crisscrossed the world as it ended up selling to a Japanese client.

This exhibition whereby artists from 32 countries around the world are chosen to take part is only the 5^th Art Naif Festival held in Poland and the host gallery is again the amazing Szyb Wilson Gallery.  It is the privately owned gallery in Poland and I would think one of the largest if not the largest private gallery in the world at 2500 square meters on two big halls and a balcony.  It is situated 10 minutes away from the city center in the Nikiszowiec district which is a historical settlement of Katowice.

The area where Szyb Wilson Gallery stands was in fact an old coal mine construction, a virtual wasteland.  As Jacques says it is very fitting that the naive festival is held in this place: “to change the image of a dirty and black city into a place where happiness and colors are together to warm the heart.  There’s nothing like naive artists to believe in things like that.  Improve the world, little by little and all together.”

ARTnBED

Last year Cuba was the guest country and this year we celebrate Israel and their wonderful Naive artists, they have a great history of Naive art with a terrific gallery that supports them in Tel Aviv called Gina Gallery of International Naive Art.  It is also from Israel that my latest venture with ARTnBED comes from with art works on duvet and shams (quilt covers and pillowcases) that were recently released both in Israel and USA.

NAIVE ART IN ISRAEL

The philosophy of Dan Chill the owner of Gina Gallery is as follows “GINA Gallery seeks to support the naïve artists‘ quest for “Paradise Lost;” to encourage them to share their timeless vision of everyday life; and to provide them with a forum to bare the child-like ruminations of their hearts and souls. In parallel, GINA Gallery hopes to facilitate the entry into this field of talented, mostly self-taught artists (young and old) who strive to relate – by means of brush, paint and canvas — the fairy tale figments of their fertile imaginations.

ART WORLD

GINA Gallery also seeks — by gathering and displaying worldwide naïve art — to expand the existing art lovers‘ awareness and appreciation of this multifaceted art form, and to introduce the wondrous beauty of this unique, easily-accessible genre to those who have been reluctant (for whatever the reason) to visit art galleries, thereby allowing naïve art, and those who paint it, to assume their proper place in the pantheon of the art world.”

ART WINNER

Last year’s winner of the Grand Prize of the Public 2011 was Stefen Lewis from Tanzania which means he has the honor of designing this year’s poster for the Festival.  This year Museum PASZIN, located in south eastern Poland was invited to submit 100 sculptures dating back from the early 60s.  Also the Museum of Lodz followed suit and presents 50 pieces on the theme of Mary, mother of Jesus.

This year even the best major Taxi companies have gotten behind the festival and are acting as “Ambassadors” handing out cards to the tourists with naive paintings on the back.  This is another ingenious idea by Jacques Dubois and his wonderful team from Fivan, Szyb Wilson Gallery and helpers from Poland and France.  We salute you!

Here is a great quote from Danny Kaye that I love;

“Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xxx

If you enjoyed this art blog you may also like this one: 117 Henri Rousseau Naive Artist

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.

Finally I can share with you my exciting news; my artwork is now available in a bedding range with ARTnBed which launched in New York this week and available throughout the USA.

ART FOUND ON THE WEB

It all started in October 2011 when I was approached by Mr Lior Rapaport an Israeli entrepreneur, who had found my artwork on the MOMA Facebook website (Museum of Modern Art NY) and from there looked at the rest of my artwork on my own artist website.

ARTnBED bought the copyright (bedding) for my acrylic painting ‘The True colours of Hindley Street” and I will also receive royalties for the items sold.

Although I have been approached with various ideas before, this time I had no hesitation as Mr Rapaports care and consideration both for me as an artist as well as for the product and what he wanted to achieve was second to none.

HIGH QUALITY ART

The utmost care has been taken in the design face with high resolution printing on sateen fabrics, 100% cotton which was chosen because it was best suited to printing the high resolution images in the highest quality possible and was also beautiful to sleep in.

The exciting quilt features all the one-time familiar icons of Hindley Street, Adelaide, Australia which is the place where everything happens, Action, Atmosphere and Nightlife –Jules Bar, Downtown Leisure Centre, Flash Coffee Gelateria and Jerusalem Restaurant in a splash of vibrant street life.  Crazy Horse nightclub is depicted alongside Goodwill Stores.  And the instantly recognisable eclectic imagery is jammed with a multi-cultural crowd of people.

The South Australian Tourist Commission’s David O’loughlin thought this was so much fun and came up with the slogan; “Thousands of Americans are sleeping in Hindley Street tonight!”

The whole ARTnBED concept springs from Lior Rapaport and his wife Sharons 4 year spell living in Paris where they enjoyed strolling the beautiful streets, exploring the incredible museums, sampling the rich cuisine and soaking up the sights and sounds.  They discovered that they shared a passion for the arts and started a art collection together and when they finally left Paris it was with a trunk full of memories, original paintings and two beautiful daughters.

When it came to setting up a more permanent home together they found a gap in the market – there were no original artwork on luxury bed linen. So they started a search to find exciting artists so they could convert their vibrancy and spirit from the walls and on to the beds and voila ARTnBED was born.

With much success in Israel it is now New Yorks turn with many more cities and countries to follow.  Our Art, Your bed so follow your heart, sleep in Art.

So here is a quote by Jean Paul Richter which I think fits well here;

“Art is indeed not the bread but the wine of life”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and maybe sleeping to you all,

Love Marie xxx

Here is my blog about the many crazy nights spent having fun in Hindley street called Girls Night Out.

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.

]]> http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/140-artnbed/feed/ 3 http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/125-gallery-m-and-salt/ http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/125-gallery-m-and-salt/#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:44:10 +0000 http://www.mariejonssonharrison.com.au/new/?p=3213 ART GALLERY SHOW

This was from an art exhibition opening at Gallery M here is South Australia  called The Demise or Otherwise of South Australia’s Gulfs, curated by Save Our Gulf Coalition.  Over ninety artists had been invited to take part and a number of them are high profile.  The diversity is enormous and with every medium allowed ranging from jewellery, photography, textiles, sculpture and of course paintings.

GICLEE PRINT & ARTISTS

The above Giclee print was my contribution called “Catch me if you can” where everybody are happy and having a wonderful time in a perfect ecosystem with clear blue water with healthy and abundant sea life.  Although I do have to admit, I myself would like my visit to the seashore a little less crowded than I have depicted it here, lol, and funny about that!

The artists in this show had been asked to submit work that reflects their own interpretation of the possible future effects on our fragile coastal and Gulf waters, either the beauty or the loss of beauty of the environment and the wild life.

The group themselves; Save Our Gulf Coalition joined forces in 2008 to protest against the then proposed desalination plant in Port Stanvac.  Their aim was to stop desalination plants from going ahead in the inappropriate locations in South Australia and they are not affiliated with any political party nor receive funding from  the government or businesses.  This intern they hope would help to reduce gulf pollution and promote storm water harvesting and waste water recycling.

THE ART OF GOVERNMENT SPIN

I must say it is a real clog mire to try to decipher, what is government spin and which scientists we should believe in this debate as there are opposing camps here just like we find when talking about the question of global warming.  It seems to me that if you pay a scientist enough money he will attest to just about anything.  Just look at the tobacco industry and their so call scientists who have over many many years testified that there was no ill effect from nicotine, whilst people all along have been dying in droves.  It seems to me that the same thing is probably going on with the mobile phone – but how can we live without them now!  I wonder what the rate of brain tumors will be in the future?  (For a more light-hearted read on smoking see this art blog Still Smoking Hot.)

My husband is very concerned about the desalination plant and is sure the extra salt that will be pumped out to sea will kill off any fish and sea creatures in the immediate vicinity.  The Save Our Gulf group view is that the gulf is a delicate environment and is being used as a giant garbage dump for industrial waste, chemicals, storm water and treated sewage and that the dumping of enormous volumes of hyper-saline brine will push the fragile marine ecosystem beyond its limits.

It actually is quite amazing to watch where the water from the river enters the sea after a big rain, for hundreds of meters out to shore the sea becomes the color of mud instead of blue.  It does make more sense to try to harvest the rain water I would have thought.

FREE ART E CARD

So it is hoped that this exhibition will not only highlight some of the negative factors but also show some of the unique beauty of the South Australian aquatic life and coastal landscapes.   “Catch me if you can” is also available as a free e-card, I would love you to used it for an environmental message of protest and also as a “I wish you were here” card whilst on holiday of course.

Here is a quote by Havelock Ellis made in 1923 in The Dance of Life that I think fits very well here;

“The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago…had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all.

Love Marie xxx  (c)

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.

Look out the Outsiders Art 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 OUTSIDERS FESTIVAL MUSEUM

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 art 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.

OUTSIDER ART

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.

ART BRUT

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.

NAIVE ART

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

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.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LIVING ARTS FESTIVAL

The Sala Festival or South Australian Living Artists Festival as the acronym stands for is just that;  a showcase for us artists that are not dead yet!  LOL, so that’s a good thing right, a club well worth supporting for as long as you can.

The concept I believe was thought up by Paul Greenaway, from Greenaway Galleries as he thought we celebrated the dead artists at the detriment of the living.  You know it is the old saying of “You do not know what you got until it’s gone” so true isn’t it?

This year will be the 14^th year since the festival started and each year around August we here in South Australia look forward to the buzz and excitement of exhibitions and shows everywhere.  I mean literally everywhere. (Here is a link to another ART blog & Sala show in the MID NORTH)

ARTISTS GALORE

There will be 4,132 amateur, emerging and established visual artists participating in the 2011 Festival with some 543 venues statewide, ranging from art galleries, art studios, public spaces, cellar doors to cafes and restaurants.  Just about anywhere you look there will be an exhibition to see, whether it is up in the hills or on the plains in the city or by the sea.

Don’t think that you won’t find something  that you like either as every taste is catered for; traditional or cutting edge and in any medium too – painting, ceramics, textiles, photography, sculpture or mixed media.

Sala has also organized city lunch time artist talks, weekday walking tours, bi-lingual cycling tours and this year has thrown into the mix a Saturday night Moving Image tour as well.

This year I will be exhibiting at the Waverley Homestead together with a very talented glass artist Glenn Howlett, who works out of his studio in Willunga.  Glenn has been involved in making the trophies for the Tour Down Under ( which if you missed it is part of the world circuit for the Tour de France Bike race – where we now can claim one of our own with the recent win of Cadel Evens)

Glenn has been making his glass art since the late 1980’s and has exhibited both interstate and here and I really look forward to see what he has come up with this time.

Our show is called “KALEIDOSCOPE” which does describe both our works perfectly so come & have a look.  You are all invited to the OPENING, where you will find bright and colourful ceramics & mosaics, paintings, sculpture, giclee prints, mixed media and glass.  Something to make you feel good Enjoy!

SATURDAY 6^th AUGUST  2011 at 6.30pm

At  WAVERLEY HOMESTEAD

ST. PETER’S TERRACE, WILLUNGA,  SOUTH AUSTRALIA

To be opened by Amanda Rishworth M.P. (member for Kingston) and the exhibition will continue each Saturday and Sunday from 11 am – 3 pm until 28 August.

So now you are wondering how the STARS come into it – well that stands for Southern Theatre and Arts Supporters and their mission is to foster a diverse and vital arts culture in the southern region. They are the people responsible for this art exhibition as well as lots of other fantastic cultural events in the area relying on volunteers and always looking for new members willing to lend a hand.  Why not visit their website STARS and perhaps get involved.  Their other activities include advocating for the arts, bringing in events, creating strategic partnerships to strengthen the art community, developing artistic skills as well as providing access to the arts.

Here is a quote I like by Oq Mandino (American essayist & psychologist);

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xxxx   (C)

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 most important festivals for Naive art is currently underway in Katowice, Poland where until August 17, you will be able to see more than 190 naive artists from all over the world and 40 of the artists participating are from Cuba this year.   Cuba is this year’s guest country and the Cuban Vice Minister of Culture was in attendance at the opening which was a cultural feast.  The highlight was a 4 piece Cuban band dressed in white suits, hats and black t-shirts with 2 dancers complete with headdress and costumes in yellow and green straight from a carnival.

ARTLINK MAGAZINE

This detail image is from one of my paintings on the cover of an art magazine called Artlink, this addition was dedicated to naive & outsider art, if you look closely there is homage to Picasso there too.  If you would like to see one of my own artworks on show in Katowice here is a link to it and another art blog 73 Snack attack at hungry jacks

MONDIAL D’ART NAIF

Oh I so would have wanted to attend myself – all of us; exhibiting artists were invited to attend and they had even organized a special artist dinner.  The timing wasn’t right for us this year as we are in the middle of renovations and also planning a trip to Europe for next year.  Here is a link to this wonderful exhibition and website Mondial d’art naif

SZYB WILSON ART GALLERY

It is my idea of total bliss to have so many wonderful naive artists work on show in the same place, at the same time, all that wonderful, innocent and colorful work under one roof.  That is so exciting too, the place itself that is housing this exhibition – which is the Szyb Wilson Gallery in Katowice.  It is the largest privately owned gallery in Poland and I think it would be rivaling most private galleries in the world as it offers more than 2000 square meters on two levels and it’s a huge building, 10 minutes away from the city centre in the district of  Nikiszowiec the historical settlement of Katowice. Another fascinating place to have a look at there would be the “Spodek” which means flying saucer in Polish and is a multipurpose arena complex which can hold up to 11,500 people.

The area of Szyb Wilson Gallery was in fact an old coal mine construction, a virtual wasteland of late.   It so happens too that one of the naive artists participating in this festival was a mine worker at this very mine for some 35 years, where now his work hangs on their walls.  His name is Erwin Sowka and he is part of the legendary group Janowska in Poland and he was awarded a special prize at the opening of the show.  (Erwin Sowka is the only surviving member of Janowska – “Amateur Painters Circle” whos origins date back to the 1930’s and there was even a film made about them in Poland called Angelus.)

ART PRIZE WINNERS

Other prize winners were artist Sylvie Marcel from Marseille in France, who won the “people’s vote” during the 2010 festival and was therefore invited to create the poster for this year’s festival, her image was also used for the large banners advertising the show, and she attended and picked up her trophy; Grand Prix du Public 2010.

Another prize awarded was to a sculptor Eugene Zegadlo who has during the last 52 years made nearly 3000 sculptures and exhibited in 20 countries in over 150 separate exhibitions.

JACQUES DUBOIS & NAIVE ART

Of course this naive  art exhibition could never have existed without the hard work of many and it is the French non-profit association Fivan that has organized it in conjunction with the Szyb Wilson Gallery.  They have designed this event to promote naive art and to sell paintings in a festive atmosphere, which is something they have totally achieved.  There are without doubt many people to thank for this wonderful event but I would like to mention one very special man Jacques Dubois who has worked tirelessly and could not have been more accommodating and nicer liaising with all the artists, so Thank you Jac!

Naive art is currently experiencing resurgence in its popularity and there were some 2000 people who attended this year’s opening with many people flying in from across the world.  Naive art has become a status symbol for many professionals and collectors and the waiting rooms of doctors and dentists just are not complete without one.  We can thank the naive artists that paved the way for us current artists,  ones like Henri Rousseau and Grandma Moses and the like and also of course Pablo Picasso who was the one that discovered Henri Rousseau in the first place.

So here is a quote from Pablo Picasso that I think the naive artist has actually mastered;

“Every child is an artist.  The problem is to remain an artist once they grow up” and this one

“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

However it is perhaps this Picasso quote that will make all of us feel better;

“We don’t grow older we grow riper.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xxxx      (c)

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 acrylic painting on canvas called “Teaotalers Club”, is one of two paintings that I have just finished and delivered to Greenhill Galleries here in Adelaide.

TEA POT ART SHOW

The show was called “The great Teapot Show” and the brief to participating artists said the aim was to create a varied collection of all things to do with Tea Pots (& cups, tea paraphernalia and tea customs etc).  Whether practical or whimsical, huge or miniscule, formal or funny – let your imagination run wild in whatever medium takes your fancy – paintings, ceramics, wood, glass, fabric, jewellery metal or whatever.

With a brief like that it was impossible to say no I thought, as I love to let the imagination run free, although I must admit that my husband is also a great source for ideas and I do love to have his input too.

I have mentioned the Gallery in some of my other art blogs and you may want to recap on a funny incident between the Gallery Director and a client here; 14. “ADAM & STEVE” .

RUSSELL STARKE OAM FOR SERVICES TO THE ARTS

This brings me to tell you a bit about Russell Starke and his gallery in Adelaide.    Greenhill Gallery has long been recognized as one of the most important exhibition spaces in South Australia and was established in 1972 by Veda Swain.  Russell Starke became the Director in 1988 and continued the tradition of showing great artists as well as giving promising new emerging artists a go.   The gallery is also well known for holding charitable events; Russell’s philosophy is to give back to the community, as he can identify with how it feels growing up in a family where money was tight.

Not that that is the only feathers in his cap, oh no Russell Starke has been awarded an OAM (the Order of Australia – which is an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth ll, and is “for the purpose of according recognition of achievement or for meritorious service”).

I grew up at a time when Russell was a must see on television on a Friday night introducing horror movies for Friday Suspense Theatre and he scared the living daylights out of me then (something that he can actually do now too if he get cross, lol).

There is also a soft and cuddly side to Russell which was very evident when he shared offices with my modeling agent Tanya Powell many years ago and doubled up as the baby sitter for her newborn son and anyone that has ever seen Russell interact with children also echoes that statement.

RUSSELL STARKE AN ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

One of Russell’s other strings to his bow would have to be Bonsai which he actually taught” the art of” and my mother in law was one of his students and she would be full of funny little stories about those classes when she came home.  These days you can find Russell (that is if you can keep up with him) running 3 separate exhibition spaces, Barton Terrace, The HWY, Penny Hill Winery Complex, as well as being a theater critic, and making regular radio appearances on Radio ABC 891 and no doubt a million other things as well!

So I think this quotation by Hsun-tzu (philosopher) fits perfectly here,

“If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xxx         (c)

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.

At this stage I had signed with the Japanese Art gallery and then spent one year painting like crazy.

This painting “If I could turn back time” was one of the artworks that the Japanese Gallery wanted to see in real life before we signed the contract and it was sent over during the negotiating stage (available as a limited Giclee print).

My contract stipulated 40 acrylic artworks in various sizes from small 30cm x 40cm to the larger ones at 120cm x 90cm, luckily I had a few in stock but all the rest needed to be produced.

The problem for me is that all my artworks take a very long time as they are so very detailed and also the paint is layered with lumps and bumps (all bottoms and breasts stick out!)   At times I wish I was an abstract artist and could just slap the paint on and make at least one painting each day, but oh no life cannot be that easy, mine take at least a week for a small one and more like a minimum of 3 weeks for the larger works.

ART STUDIO

My studio is just outside the backdoor in a separate building with views of the paddocks and the trees along the river, so it’s just as well that I love being there and painting as that next year and the years following I nearly spent every waking moment in there.  My husband always jokes to friends that he keeps me locked up in there, and that is almost true, lol.

Finally the big day has come, I had an all expenses paid trip to Nagoya Japan Business class mind you, for me and for the two art gallery guys from Melbourne who were my art agents at that stage.  We get picked up from the airport and put up in one of the nicest hotels and wined and dined every night at some of the most wonderful and interesting restaurants in Nagoya.

However it was the actual opening of the exhibition that really threw me!  I am used to going to exhibitions obviously, lol with a drink of wine or champagne in your hand you stand around and chat to the clients and friends and have a merry old time, and that is what I was expecting.

ART EXHIBITION OPENING

Wrong!  Around an hour before the opening I get told that I am actually going to be sitting behind a desk and drawing little pictures for their clients.  So now I get really worried, I am really not very good at drawing on command like that.  As you know I am an naïve artist and my drawings look more like stick figures – so now I was really breaking out into a sweat.  If that wasn’t enough now I also find out that we have to sit in a tiny little room and wait for the gallery to fill up with people where I will be presented like the Queen, lol,  I have to walk through the crowd as they part ways and line the sides and clap, and present me with a huge bouquet of flowers before the speeches.

DRAWING

Then as promised I sit at a table with my translator and meet the people one by one as the clients stand single file in a big line which snakes along the room.  Each Japanese person has got a white board embossed with gold edge which they ask me to draw something on.  Most of them know what they would like me to draw, maybe a bird, a cat or a flog (well that’s how they pronounce FROG lol) and I am to write their names and a little message as well as well as sign it.   As paintings sold I also had to write a message on the back of them too.    So I was flat out working for a couple of hours straight and not a drink in sight (unless you count the glass of water lol, but that doesn’t count does it?)

I must say though that in the end I thoroughly enjoyed it and found the Japanese people so very lovely, warm and giving.

The exhibition was held over 4 days with four separate openings and each night we waited in that small room until it was time to start.  I felt like a movie star by the end of it and each day an average of 10 paintings sold until it was a sell out!  (I have now made many trips to Japan over the years, but I will tell you about them another time.)

Here is a saying by Michael Jordan (basketball player) that I can appreciate,

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.  I’ve lost almost 300 games; 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.  I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.  And that is why I succeed.”

This Japanese family bought this painting at my first Japan show in 1993 and then came back for the 2006 exhibition.  They are holding up the drawings I was talking about.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you.

Love Marie xxx     (c)

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 had been painting for about 5 years when my gallery in Melbourne called me to let me know that a scout for a Japanese gallery had been in to see them and were very interested in showing my artwork in Nagoya.

This painting depicts my Qantas flight over to Nagoya in Japan for my first exhibition, however there was a lot of I’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed before that first trip.  You see the Japanese do not do things by half and it took more than six months before that first contract was signed.

So in the meantime I lived on hope, as during both my days as a model and then in the art business I have come to know that you win some and you lose some, and I didn’t know which category this was going to fall into.

Firstly I had to send pictures of my artwork to Japan, price lists, mediums and sizes etc, and then they wanted to see some of the actual paintings in real life so a couple of paintings had to be sent over to Nagoya.  Then there was lots of to-ing and fro-ing about the price I was to receive for each art work and the commission for the art gallery in Melbourne.

Eventually a representative from the gallery in Japan flew to Melbourne and they flew me from Adelaide for the final meeting and signing of the contract, which was held at the Melbourne gallery who were my agent in this new art venture.

ART & KIDS

I took one of my dearest friends Christina with me as well as my two kids, Kai and Hillivi.  So off we go; Miss Hillivi my daughter  was 2 years  old at the time and had just sat down in her seat on the plane and fastened the seatbelt before she threw up all over herself, (there are quite a few stories like that with little Miss Hillivi) luckily I had Christina there to help me out.

I do know that first impressions are really important and thought my chances with the Japanese would not be enhanced by being covered in baby spew, so by now I was getting a bit worried.

ART MEETING

The problem was we had to go virtually straight from the plane to the Japanese meeting, as typically the plane was delayed.  However as one door closes another one opened and I ran into an acquaintance on the plane that said we should come to his hotel and get changed.  Saved by the man on a white horse so to speak as both I and Hillivi did not smell so good by this stage(brave man), so that offer came in very handy.

Then there was another small problem with taxis.   Here in Australia you have to have children in seatbelts and in booster chairs when travelling if the child is under 7 and of course, I had not thought of that.( I am normally very safety conscious but tell me how you get around in a new city with kids and no car.)

We eventually found a taxi driver to take us (although we had to duck in the backseat all the way) and surprisingly enough still made it to the meeting on time.  Christina, bless her cotton socks amused the kids in a café down the road whilst I against all odds and with nothing left but hope finally had that contract signed and sealed.

If you would like to know what happened on my first trip to Nagoya to attend my art exhibition there here is a link;  64. Flying to Japan (continuation of Signing the Contract)

So here is a saying from Lu Xun (writer) that I think fits rather well here.

“Hope can neither be affirmed nor denied.  Hope is like a path in the countryside:  Originally there was no path-yet, as people are walking all the time in the same spot, a way appears.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting!

Love Marie  xxx                                               (c)

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

ART & BALI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARTISTIC LICENCE

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

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

This exhibition has now come and gone but went very well and I thank you all for attending Naive View.

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

AUTHOR & jOURNALIST

It is being opened by Nadine Williams, acclaimed international journalist and author of the bestseller “From France with Love” which has now also been optioned to be made into a movie.  So it should be quite a swell affair.  Here is an art blog 101 From France with Love on Nadine.

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

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

“Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.”

Happy painting and Sculpting everyone.

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.