Today I thought I would continue the story about our recent cruise – if you have just joined me for the first time perhaps you would like to recap in these travel & art blogs “LEAVING SYDNEY HARBOR” and  “CRUISING ON THE PACIFIC JEWEL” first.

THE ART OF EXPLORATION

We first had 2 full days spent exploring every inch of the ship and I mean that literally every corridor the 6 of us like a big snake, lol.  You see we are all into exercise, the kids having grown up with a mother who jumps around like a mad woman first thing in the morning!  Luckily for me it spread to them and their partners are also on the same wave length.  So shorts and shoes on and off we went, through every one of the corridors on the ship from 4th deck to the 14^th, we went up and down stairs dodging the vacuum cleaners and staff as we went.  It was real fun and we had the giggles as we all probably looked like lunatics and took turns in being the leader and deciding the way.  When weather permitted we also went up on the top deck and did our rounds up there in the fresh air too.

THE ART OF NOT MISSING ANY MEALS

Just as well we kept that regime up as we certainly were lining up for breakfast, lunch and dinner even when we weren’t even hungry, but who can resist!  Kai’s girlfriend Sam who was still battling a touch of nausea made us laugh as immediately she sat down she would order “chips for the table” and then proceed to scoff them down to cure the seasickness.  Lol I never saw the table get even one chip and the rest of us would have to fight to get one too!  Not that we went without food either we all had 3 course meals for the most part – oh we lived like kings!

THE ART OF THE CORAL SEA

Anyway during these 2 days out at sea we had crossed the Northern part of the Tasman Sea that merges into the Coral Sea heading towards New Caledonia.  We passed south of the Capel Bank and continued North East across the Lord Howe Plateau and into the Basin de Nouvelle-Caledonie.  In the early morning of Saturday we made landfall and passed through the Boulari Passage, a gap in the coral reefs protecting New Caledonia, through Woodin Canal before anchoring off the Isle of Pines.

GICLEE PRINTS

We had brekky of course and got our tickets for the tender (which is the little boats that can take 100 or so passengers at a time across to the main land).  We were all a bit excited and looking forward to this new experience the Isle of Pines.  No secret of how it got its name, it is teeming with tall native pines as far as the eye can see which to us seemed a bit unusual for what is a tropical environment.  These pines are called Araucaria conifer trees and Captain Cook was the first European to discover the island and named it the Isle of Pines back in 1774.  The painting above is of Captain Cooks first voyage down-under and was a private commission in the style of “If I could turn back time” which was made into limited edition Giclee prints.  The original acrylic on canvas painting was used for the invitation and posters for my 1993 first solo exhibition in Japan.

MORE ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

The population of Isle of Pines is approximately 2000 with French and Kanak dialects as the language and the currency was the French Pacific Franc.  The people we met were warm and welcoming and after a little look around at the handy crafts and stalls we decided to take a tour to the main village where we thought we could find a restaurant and also look in some shops.  Lol it should have been a clue to us the puzzled faces of the driver and tour leader when we told them that we just wanted to get dropped in the middle of the town and do our own thing.  Because when we finally reached the town after twenty minutes on the bus there was no “town” to speak of.  What we found was a closed post office, one town hall, one church and maybe 10 houses all in all.  That would have been fun to wonder around in for hours, haha.  Anyway the tour itself was interesting and we followed that up with another tour for a swim in a Natural Aquarium.  I have to admit I didn’t get into the water the weather was just a touch chilly for me but the others did.  Sam was the first to put on the goggles and flippers and swam out to the middle of the lagoons crystal clear waters to inspect the underwater life.  Then she came up with a flash and screamed, warning everyone there was a rock full of snakes.  The boys of course had to go and check this out and found it was only clams, as they were closed their mouths looked like wriggly black snakes.  Although I am on Sam side here, they sure looked like snakes to me to when I saw the photo!  I still have a vivid memory of my own encounter of a sea snake in this art blog “HAPPY HOUR”.

Here is a quote by Leonardo da Vinci on the subject that I think fits perfectly here;

“Marriage is like putting your hand into a bag of snakes in the hope of pulling out an eel.”

Till next time 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.

Before we emigrated from Sweden to Australia my father promised my brother and me that when we get there we were allowed to have both a large swimming pool and a donkey!  Well I guess the perception of what life would be like in sunny Australia when you sit and dream about it from snow-covered Sweden can alter a bit, LOL.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

We did not find any kangaroos hopping about the suburban streets, nor was it ever possible to have a donkey in the ½ an acre suburban house block, but my dad did come true with the big swimming pool.  Would you believe he actually dug the hole for it himself, there wasn’t much he couldn’t do my dad when it came to it.  Seemed to us like he was in the hole for months and digging all the way to China.

(I actually eventually got 2 donkeys when we lived at the farm, but that’s another story)

The pool was eventually finished and it was the most magnificent oasis away from the hotter than hot Australian weather and we enjoyed swimming night and day.

GICLEE PRINTS

So the inspiration for this acrylic on canvas painting comes from a combination of our swimming pool and seeing the movie “Jaws” at the drive-in.  It’s called “At The Drive-in” (also available as a limited edition GICLEE PRINT)

Drive-in movies were something we did not have in Sweden and we all really loved going to them in Australia.  You would just pile into the car, it used to cost a few bucks for a carload of people, you’d hook up the speaker (although sometimes it took a while to find one that didn’t crackle) and you were set to go.

Of course you would make a trip to the canteen and buy those “sometimes foods” like Chico rolls and pop top ice creams and see lots of kids who already have their pajamas and dressing gowns on begging their parents for lollies and sweets. (The kids usually fall asleep before the end of the movie and would be easily transported straight to bed then.)

ART & MOVIES

So it was on one of these nights that I went to see “Jaws” and lol that so spoiled my love for the water, so much so that it took quite a while before I would have any night swims in the pool.  Of course I knew it was illogical to think that a shark could be in the pool – but there still was that silly thought in the back of my mind!  I do love swimming still but never again had the devil may care attitude to the sea.  Perhaps that has been good anyway as there certainly have been quite a few shark attacks locally.

ART FROM AUSTRALIA

Which brings me to a wonderful new Australian movie called “The Reef” which I strongly recommend that you all go and see.  It is based on a true story which I remember reading about in the papers some years ago, about a group of friends who were to spend a week on a yacht whilst delivering it to a new buyer in Indonesia – when it all goes pear shaped and the yacht capsizes off the North Australian coast and the group have to decide whether to sink or swim!

I won’t tell you anymore details, so I don’t spoil the story for you – other than to say that the four of us that went to the movies forgot to breathe quite a few times and actually had to think about doing so, lucky for us the time just flew by, or we would have been out of oxygen!   The actors were great and you will recognize a couple from the Underbelly series such as Damian Walshe-Howling and Gyton Grantley and the movie was written and directed by by Andrew Traucki, who is an up and coming director to watch.

So here is a quote from Woody Allen which I think fits perfectly here;

“A relationship, I think is like a shark, you know?  It has to constantly move forward or it dies.  And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark.”

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.

I drive my kids nuts, but hey that’s a mothers job, keeping them safe and out of danger.

Happy Mother’s day to all you wonderful mothers and being one is the most fantastic gift but at the same time a guilt ridden curse.  It was hard enough when they were little but at least then I was the boss and could tuck them safely into their beds at night and keep the monsters from the door.  Now I need a Lear jet and an Uzi to be of any use.

This Painting is one of several artworks I have painted over the years on the trial and tribulations of motherhood. Having a family is very inspirational for an artist and this acrylic on canvas painting is called ” A Mothers work is never done”.

ARTISTS AND IMAGINATION

Just had a call from my baby boy Kai, well baby boy is a bit much he would say, after all he is 23.  Funny though I know that, but he will always be my baby boy and I will probably be annoying him and his sister till I die, with various warnings of imminent danger just as I have done now.  I wonder if my imagination and worry is worse because I am an artist?

You see he has just called from Sweden in transit to London, and as you know they have had a terrorist attacks there, never mind that said baby boy has been living and surviving perfectly fine in London for the last 10 months or the fact that his’ imminent doom preaching mother’ takes us all off to Bali nearly every year for a holiday.

But oh no, that does not count, I am there to protect them.  Like Darth Vader against a terrorist bomb, that’s me! Then there is the volcano to worry about, he already had his flight to Sweden cancelled for a week.  Let’s not forget there is also swine flu, Pick pockets, the Bangkok riots, sitting no further that 7 seats from an exit on the plane, drink spiking and gangs with knifes!

( our family is the 4 people on the right on the detail of the painting below)

Oh grow up girl and get a grip, I know I should, but my children are so precious, bad enough with baby girl here in Adelaide, I know I drive her crazy too.  Poor baby girl 19 years old now and still having to text her mum after every car trip to say she is safe, never mind the fact that one could get ones eye poked out with a sharp stick (lol that was always my ARTIST dad’s warning too, as soon as me or my brother did anything remotely dangerous).

The Swedes have a very good word for my behavior and that is “Mesar” which is a bird in Sweden that is known as a little coward, wimpy, so that’s what an overprotective mother preaching excessive caution is called!

So Mums take a deep breath and enjoy your day, relax, permit yourself to get pampered and forget about the worries for one day.

Oh Bugger I wish I could….my baby boy is still in transit, London-Bangkok-Adelaide, I guess I will have to wait till next year……

Here from Douglas Pagels book “30 Beautiful things” -a thought, I wish for all of you.

May trouble, worries and problems never linger; may they only make you that much stronger and able and wise.  May you rise each day with sunlight in your heart, success in your path, answers to your prayers, and that smile – that I love to see – always there in your eyes.

Love Marie xxx

( Thanks Sonja and Jimmie )

Happy painting and sculpting to every one and a Big Happy Mothers Day to Nanna and Mormor and all of you too 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.

(c)

]]> http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/13-happy-mothers-day/feed/ 0