As it happens we should just have stayed at the farm, because four days after we moved to the seaside the seaside actually came to the farm would you believe!   If you missed our house moving tales here is the art blogs on our adventures 40. Tree Change for a Sea Change & Art and 41. Art & Collecting Cackleberries and Thank you Balaklava and of course there has to be a packing story in there too; 42. Art & All That Packing ..mmm Better have a Holiday

So four days after we moved to the seaside one of the biggest down pours in history happened at Whitwarta where we lived and according to the locals the water levels were at record heights!

The river of course broke its banks and the new owners of our farm house had the water lapping very close to the front door.  Several paddocks were completely submerged and only the top of the fences showed.  The water pipe for the house was ripped out by the water as was the water meter.

This painting shows a country scene and was inspired by the country life, and as the new family that has moved in has six children under ten, it can easily be them with their lovely mum and dad, Janette and Kirk (apart from the hair colours!)

THE ART OF KEEPING YOUR COOL

The new owners had a wonderful  C’est la vie attitude and took it all in their stride, called us up to find out where the water pipe that connects to the house was located and so on.  They said it was a great way to meet the neighbours, and everyone rallied around and helped them lay a temporary water pipe down the drive way for the time being.

I think the river flooded as a greeting for them, as it did the same for us many years ago just 3 or so weeks after we moved in, although this time the food did a lot more damage.

I must say it is spectacular to watch and it brings new life to the area and lots of seabirds and little creatures.  The frogs which hibernate during winter and seem to disappear totally during the drought years, just magically come back to life and their croaking is something I never tired of listening too.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

This painting of the Frog Pond was made into a Care Card and sold for Charity, there were so many visions in the country that made the creative juices flow, all around you there is another scene that you want to recreate as a sculpture or artwork of any type.

My father made a little wooden dingy for the kids when they were little and they used to take great delight at rowing in the river, although they did have to wait until the water had subsided considerably as during the peak, it is a torrent of water collecting everything in its path.

Great big logs and drums and a tyre or two have been spotted winding their way down, and heaven forbid that you should fall in, even the strongest swimmer would have a hard time getting to safety.

When the river dries out again it is like Christmas to walk down in the riverbed and see what the water brought this time.

Usually lots of logs and branches get caught up in some tree roots snag and look just like huge beavers nests, and that’s what we used to call them.

The local wildlife would take up residence there and the beaver’s nests would cater for foxes, rabbits, lizards and snakes, all very exciting for little children and dogs.

So to the new owners of the farm, the Taylors,( a more perfect family we could not think of to take over this house), we wish you all the best and hope your time in the this new home will be as happy and wonderful as it was for us.

I think this motto fits well in here said by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (writer)

“The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie xx

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

This painting is of my brother Matt’s band Clowns of Decadence, they all came from the Northern suburbs of Adelaide South Australia and the music grew out of the punk genre and they became a very well known pub band during the early 80’s and 90’s touring around Australia and also New Zealand.

A very Arty band of course due in part to my brothers influence. The Clowns of Decadence ensemble was large scale which also included fire eaters and other various artistic acts in its repertoire.

Matt Jonsson was the drummer and in charge of designs of backdrops and album covers and other visual influences, however all the band members were all very creative and talented and they made a fantastic team.

They still have a fan group on Face book all these years later.  So this painting was obviously a lot of fun to create.

BANDS & ART

This particular night was at the Entertainment Centre in Adelaide where they had a live cross to Hey Hey It’s Saturday, (television show) and an interview by Molly Meldrum.

There was another 3 bands I think performing that night as well. I went there with Bryan (husband) and met my mum and dad in the car park.

ARTISTIC MOTHER

What made me laugh was that my darling mother had been to a Melbourne cup luncheon recently and had made herself a rather unusual hat. My mum is very good at sewing and not afraid of standing out in the crowd even though at this stage she was in her 60’s.   You can spot her in the left hand corner with the rather tall top hat with a horse on it, a real artwork.

My Dad was mortified and tried to talk her out of this hat before we went in,  but mother would not be convinced of otherwise.  She was going to wear this hat come hell or high water to her son’s concert.

I must say I applaud her courage.  It is a fantastic thing to be and individual and proud of it and most probably some of my getting out on a limb also comes from mum, although most people say the artistic side is from my father’s side but I think it’s a bit of both. So the man with the beard is my father and then there is my husband and me dancing next to them.

Check out the action under the sound guys table.

What a wonderful night.

From the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde here is another saying that I like,

“All women are like their mothers.  That is their tragedy.

No man does.  That’s his.”

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

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.