ARTISTS BACKGROUND

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

This particular work “The Acrobat” is one of my dads, Ted Jonsson and made entirely from cardboard which he has cut up and painted and glued like a mosaic effect and as you read on you will soon discover how he  became an artist.   This artwork of my fathers was  no doubt was inspired by my grandfathers early career as an acrobat.

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

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

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

NAIVE PAINTING; ANTONIS TIVOLI

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

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

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

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

GUN JONSSON; ACTRESS & DIRECTOR

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

WORKING AS A SCULPTOR

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

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

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

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

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

Happy painting and sculpting everyone,

Love Marie xx  (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.

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

CIRCUS LIFE

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

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

PAINTING IDEAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope you come back and visit me again, till then happy painting and sculpting everyone!

Love Marie xx   (c)

The continuation of this art blog here 21. Life in a Circus Tent

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.