As promised here is a bit more about The Centenary of Federation Gateway sculpture, this time I want to tell you about the wonderful community spirit that helped to make this project possible.

You may want to recap to Stories of the Wall, to see main structure of this sculpture, although images of the sculptured fence are yet to come, in another  art blog.

CERAMIC AND MOSAIC

This ceramic and mosaic artwork depict of some of the individuals, schools and service clubs they represent, on parade and without them this project would never have been possible at all.   Because there were so many individuals who selflessly spent hours and hours helping on this project I cannot mention each one individually but you all know who you are – and I Thank you so very much.

ARTISTIC VOLUNTEERS

There literally were groups all over the district doing their bit towards the project, all the way from school children who interviewed the old folk in the age care facilities and homes.   Schools, child care,  kindies, church groups and others who got together to mosaic the farm animals on the fences (that lead out from the sculptured wall) to a regular bunch of arts and craft enthusiasts that regularly met at my studio to mosaic the background to my ceramic images.  We got a lot of work done all the while chatting and laughing and drinking cups of coffee together, a nice little interlude for me a normally solitary artist to have some company.

PAINTING ON CERAMIC TILES

Not to mention the team of dedicated individuals that poured and fired the tiles that made up the “veranda’ area in front of the sculpture and also ran workshops where the towns people could paint their own stories on individual tiles.  Yes nearly everyone in the local district was involved in this project from the tiniest babies who had their hands and feet imprinted on the tiles to the CEO of the Wakefield Council Phil Barry who so enthusiastically supported it.

I must say that I was very saddened indeed to hear that Phil just recently lost his fight against a brain tumour, something that shocked the whole town.  Phil Barry truly was a wonderful and caring man not only to his own family and friends but to the whole town.  Rest in peace Phil, we will always remember you.

COMMUNITY ART

That community spirit is something that I miss now that I live in the “big smoke” again, everyone are always ready to lend a hand.  There were so many times I was surprised at the generosity of the country people, just imagine the surprise a bunch of us got when the lady living opposite the sculpture (who also worked as a full time primary school teacher, mind you) suddenly appeared with afternoon tea and freshly baked scones, lashings of cream and jam for all the workers.

Dale Gathercole the project co-ordinator whose book “Stories behind the wall” which was published to coincide with the opening of the sculpture said; “ In 2001, the International Year of the Volunteer, to each and every one of you who has selflessly served, a sincere Thank you.”

So here is another quote about volunteering by Elizabeth Andrew that I think fits in perfectly here;

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.

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

Love Marie xxxx

If you enjoyed this Public Art blog you may also enjoy this one;  77 Book stack water feature Sculpture

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 “Christmas for the Elders family” was commissioned by Jim Elders from the Elders Fine Art Gallery in Adelaide, South Australia, a man I much admire and without whom I would not be enjoying this wonderful career as an Artist.

I have told you how I started painting in How it all began, which is something that I did every minute of the day (in-between looking after a new baby & going back to modelling) early morning, late into the evening, when baby Kai had his naps, and all weekend when hubby took over the child minding.

PAINTING OBSESSED

Friends and family was highly amused at my newfound love of painting and would come over to see the latest artwork.   They would giggle and laugh and I am sure in a lot of instances pat me on the head, shake their heads and think that at least I am amusing myself but it won’t amount to anything much, LOL.

JUNK ART SCULPTOR

Not that I thought it would either I just knew that I could not stop and if I wasn’t painting I thought about painting, dreamt about it or talked about it, like a woman obsessed.  My dad, who is an artist himself but generally more in the abstract area or as a junk art sculptor, would encourage me and buy me paints and materials.  After a while he said:” you know honey I think you are on to something – there is a genre in the art world called Naive Art and although it does not look anything like yours it seems to be in the same vein.”  So dad got me a few books and I started to dream that maybe one day I could become a “real artist”.

It took about 2 years for this penny to drop and I thought I should see if I could get representation from a gallery.  Now obviously as my father was already an artist with gallery backing and I had quite a public profile from being the Australian Model of the Year it probably would have been much easier to take advantage of that but I wanted to make it on my own arts merit.

CALLING ART GALLERIES

So armed with the Yellow Pages (Telephone Directory) I started calling galleries.  I started with the less known and worked my way up the list.  In the most polite of fashions I explained that I was a new artist and was wondering if at some stage I could either come in or send them an image of my work.  Without fail every single gallery I called said: “sorry we are not interested in seeing any new artists, or we are totally booked out”, and some of them were rather rude and abrupt.  At this stage there were only 2 Galleries left in South Australia (that I hadn’t called) and that was the two most famous ones 20 years ago;  BMG (Kim Bonython’s) and Elders Fine Art Gallery, and as luck would have it I called Elders first.

Jim Elder answered the phone himself and I couldn’t believe it when he said; “sure come on in!  I will warn you however that I very rarely take on any new artists but I always look”, and with that we made an appointment.

ART GALLERY APPOINTMENT

So on the allotted day I turn up, Jim is very busy getting a show up and hardly acknowledges me but points at where I should put my work along the walls on the floor.  I had 14 works with me so it took quite a while back and forth from the car and finally it’s all in and eventually Jim comes to take a look.

His face gave nothing away, he looked grumpy to me and sort of huffed and asked what the price on this and that one is?  I said that I had no idea at all what the prices were, so Jim said, well that painting I think would be 300 dollars, and this one 500 and the artwork with the flowers 950.  By this stage my eyes were round as saucers as I listen to this obviously quite mad man, lol.  But who was I to argue and when he then said he would buy, this one and that one and the other outright, counting up 10 of the artworks and taking in the other 4 on commission basis I nearly fainted.  I left Elders Fine Art Gallery that day with a cheque for nearly 7 thousand dollars, which with a young family and a mortgage made me skip to the car!

The paintings sold the following weekend in their Christmas show and I now had a new career painting full time and the rest of it is history as they say!

So thank you Jim and Helen Elders, you provided the most wonderful start to my career and I am forever in your debt.  It goes without saying, that if the Elders had not changed the gallery to an Auction house: Elders Fine Art & Auctioneers, I would still happily be on their books.

So here is a quote by George Allen,  I think fits very well in here with light of what everyone thought initially about my art career, lol.

“People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit.  Most men succeed because they are determined to.”

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.

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.