The time had come to leave Sundsvall and it is with sadness that we do so.  Our visit with my lovely cousin Kent and his gorgeous family was not nearly long enough and the setting and town so picturesque that I could have stayed a long long time!

TRAVEL AND ART BLOGS

Our travels today take us to Stockholm by train and if you should want to catch up on the travel and art blogs leading up to this point in our recent Europe trip here are the links;  156. ART & FREQUENT FLYER POINTS and 157. Art & Never judge a book by it’s cover and 155 The Art of Packing Light and 164. ART, TOILETS AND TRAVEL

ACRYLIC PAINTING

This acrylic on canvas board painting is of a little red Swedish cottage during the winter months.  It was commissioned by my American Gallery and as chance would have it unbeknownst to me at the time; my cousin Bjorn and his wife Ann live in a setting almost identical to this by a lake in Huddinge.

My cousin Bjorn picked us up from the train station when we arrived and had arranged for us to stay in an apartment with his son Kalle.  I had really been looking forward to seeing Bjorn again, we knew each other as very young, playing together at family celebrations but had lost touch and reconnected through my art website and Facebook.

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MAKING SCULPTURES FOR CHARITY

Bjorn has been especially supportive with my art and my artblogs and I think we have found a few common bonds too.  Bjorn who is a whiz kid in IT with IBM commutes between Sweden and England for work, found that in his spare time he would like to give back and thought to combine that with his love of tinkering in his shed where he was originally carving wooden figures.  So to cut a long story short, Rundellhund.com was born.  Roundaboutdogs is the English translation and it is about making small dog sculptures and placing them into roundabouts across the world for the general public to enjoy.  All dogs are made from recycled materials and all money collected goes back to charity.  If you would like to participate or know a little more about this use link RONDELLHUND.  Also here is a previous art blog that I have written about this Roundaboutdogs – sculptures for charity.  The other thing we had in common was that he is a big kid just like me!  Bjorn is all grown up obviously but acts and looks decades younger than his years, full of life and fun.

Before we settled in to the apartment Bjorn took us on a tour of Huddinge which is where I grew up when I lived in Sweden.  A lot had changed of course but some things stayed the same, my high school looked completely foreign to me until I figured out that I always came to it from the opposite entrance climbing up a hill.

ROUNDABOUTDOG SCULPTURE FACTORY

After all this sightseeing we were taken to the little red cottage, home and also head office to the Roundaboutdogs Factory whereby after meeting Bjorn’s gorgeous wife Anne and afternoon tea we were promptly inducted into the Rondellhund makings ourselves.

THE ART OF FOOD

Then we were treated to a scrumptious smorgasbord of Swedish treats including more kantarell dishes (my favourite mushroom) where we were also joined by Bjorn’s mother Lillian and stepfather Hasse.  Yet again I felt as I was in the bosom of my family right at home even though it was 30 years since I was in Sweden the last time.

Here is a quote I think fits well here by John Ed Pearce;

“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.”

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 have actually painted a couple of paintings on this theme, as well as the original “Adam and Eve”, which I will tell you about another time.  What inspired this particular artwork which is done in handmade ceramic and mosaic was that my gallery here in Adelaide was having a Christmas show called Erotic and Exotic, and as I discussed this fact with a fellow artist (who paints wonderful landscapes mainly) she suggested the scene of Adam and Steve in the bridal getup.

ARTISTS SUGGESTION

The second she said it, I saw the whole finished image in my mind.  That is a funny thing with me, it often happens like that, one sentence and the finished painting or sculpture is already formed.

Well in any case home I went to start it, but it never made the Christmas show instead I kept it for my solo exhibition where it sold before the opening.

This conversation was related to me by the gallery director, and I found it quite amusing.

An elderly client in his 80’s came in to have a look with his elderly wife and after having looked around the exhibition for a while he pointed at “Adam and Steve” and said that he would like to buy that one.

His wife was up in arms over this suggestion and told her husband in no uncertain terms; “Goodness me, whatever for, you are over 80 years old and for goodness sake, what are you going to do with THAT artwork?”

Whereupon the elderly gentle man replied “That is exactly why I would like to purchase this artwork, because I am TOO OLD to do all the things I used to do or would like to do, but what I Can Still Do is to sit at home and look at this artwork and be amused by it.”

And without further discussion he went ahead and purchased the piece. (I may also have to paint that interaction at some later stage. Lol)

ADAM & STEVE IN A BOOK

It should also be said that this image was use for a book published in America (Hendrickson Publications Peabody Massachusetts USA )

Here is a quote I think fits here by Walt Kelly (cartoonist) from the book which I find very amusing called ‘Don’t forget to sing in the Lifeboats’

“Don’t take life too seriously.  It ain’t nohow permanent”

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.

As a lot of you know by now we live on a farm, although recently we have reduced said farm’s acreage substantially.  However it is and has been a wonderful place to live and for our children to grow up on, and with so many tales to tell. The farm and the country side in general was a wonderful and inspirational setting for an artist, supplying vistas that I never got tired of recreating in artworks or paintings or writing about in Art blogs.  Here is a painting which sold in America which pictures the country side here, not quite our farm but a romantic view of it.  What it does show is the White Ute (pickup truck) and that is what this story is all about.

One of our friends had a sheep called Smokey, not your normal type of sheep, no this one was the potato chip eating variety, that had been hand raised in a Hotel, all you had to do was to rattle a chip packet and Smokey would come running and nearly bowl you over whilst licking her lips.  The Publican and his wife were now moving away, the cute but by now Big sheep was looking for a new home.  Yep and that was us, so Bryan dear hubby of mine thought he would swing past said friend and pick Smokey up.

WHAT A PICTURE

He rolled up in his White ute and now with a bit of blokey discussion back and forth they decided that the only way they could transport this sheep (as he was you know, more like a family member than a sheep) in the FRONT Seat of the ute.

Yep that’s right, that’s where Smokey sat for the 25 minute drive from Mallala to Balaklava.  Oh did I forget to tell you, of course he had his seat belt done up, that’s the road rules you know.

So here is little wifey-poo patiently waiting for hubby and sheep to arrive home, you know on the back of the ute like, and I cannot tell you of the fright I got when they arrived home late after dark and I looked into the passenger window and saw this very strange creature sitting there looking at me, sitting on her bum mind you, upright with the seatbelt across her and looking out the window.

Crazy men, I just thank the lucky stars that she sat perfectly still the entire trip cause otherwise neither of them would probably have made it home that night. Lol

Here is some more of the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde with his quote:

“I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated his ability”

I hope you will come and visit me again, till next time, happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie                                                                (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.

People often ask me where I get my inspiration for my paintings and sculpture, well all artwork from.  And my answer is usually – from absolutely everywhere.  And I truly mean that, driving in the car, seeing an advertising sign, going to a birthday celebration, or a wedding or any festive occasion at all.  Going to the movies or seeing a play, opera, band or performance of any kind.  Eating out, eating in (by now you probably know I do like my food, Lol) . Also getting together with friends,  holidays and travelling of any kind, going for a walk, to the gym, listening  to songs, reading books, reading magazines, watching TV and doing just about anything.  My problem is more- so little time and so many images to create.

PUBLIC SCULPTURE

If you would like to see some of my public sculptures here is a link to one of the art blogs 109 Stories behind the Wall

CERAMIC & MOSAIC

This Artwork ( which is hand made ceramic and mosaic), IF YOU REMEMBER THE SIXTIES YOU WEREN’T THERE (check out the action under the table) came to me whilst listening to the local ABC Radio Station here in Adelaide Radio 891,  A couple of my favourite radio announcers Matt Abraham and David Bevin was doing their usual funny banter back and forward and this line came up If you remember…….. And instantly in my mind I saw the whole picture.

I must remind you that I was but a small child in the sixties so this is not autobiographical, although to be fair I did pass through a bit of a naughty stage in my youth too. I remember being totally fascinated by a tomato sauce bottle and thinking that was the funniest thing I had ever seen in my life and for some reason had the munchies something shocking.

Lucky for me I soon came to my senses and pursued more healthy paths ,and even luckier than that my darling children seem to be a whole lot more focused and  are pursuing very worthwhile areas as a psychology and a nursing student .  Or is that so that they can take care of their dear old parents in our twilight year’s lol;

Here is another quote I like from Oscar Wilde

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

Till next time, happy painting and sculpting to everyone!

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.

On this detail below from the painting “I love San Francisco”, you can see Golden Gate bridge and here is a link to the whole artwork and the art blog called 6. San Francisco where this tale begins,followed by 7. More tales from San Francisco and if after you read this and still want more here is the last installment in this paintings blog 17. The Jail Bird in Alcatraz (the last bit of the San Francisco tales).

FOOD IN MY PAINTINGS AND IN MY STOMACH

So after all that stuffing of our faces, we had to get some exercise in,  so of we trotted up and down nearly every street of this fair city, and zig zagged down  the crookest road in the world, all the while with one eye behind us (well…the Muni Stabber..remember!)

I had to see firsthand all the places that I had previously painted and found Pier 39 and after a little walk-about there,  decided to bicycle across the Golden Gate Bridge, found ourselves a very Happy Chappie who enthusiastically sold us on the idea of using his company, a bike each and helmets (yuck hat hair).So we were ready to go with a water bottle, map in hand, when the Happy Chappie  told us the entire bike ride from the pier across the bridge to Sausalito and then the ferry back would be no more than one and a half hours max.

THE ART OF THE CON

Yea Right!  We were skeptical before we set off, but hey nothing ventured nothing gained right? So off we go, and boy I am glad we did, fantastic experience, peddled our butts off and had so much fun, but even without more than a couple of photo stops it took 3 hours to reach Sausalito.  What he had also neglected to tell us was that the ‘you beaut’ ferry only went a few times a day and the next one was not due for another hour and a half, and by the time we got on it, it was pitch black.

The saga didn’t end there either for this little ferry did not go back to Pier 39, oh no this one went to the SF Harbour proper, with a 20 minute bike ride in the dark.  So 6 hours later we finally got back to the still very enthusiastic hire fellow, as luck would have it, ran a 24 hours a day bike return, although funnily enough we had to pay by the hour!  Well what could you say apart from, Thank you, we had a lovely day! Lol  There certainly are many more paintings & paintings blogs inspirations here!

Here is another quote I like from J.P. Donleavy(writer);

“When you don’t have any money, the problem is food.  When you have money, it’s sex.  When you have both, it’s health.  If everything is simply jake, then you’re frightened of death”

How True!

Till next time, happy painting and sculpting everyone,

Love Marie

(To be continued)                                              (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.

]]> http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/9-bike-ride-over-the-golden-gate-bridge-continuing-tales-of-san-francisco/feed/ 0 http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/8-thunder-in-the-thunder-box/ http://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/8-thunder-in-the-thunder-box/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:57:36 +0000 http://www.mariejonssonharrison.com.au/new/?p=566 CAT & DOG SERIES OF PAINTINGS

We have two dogs, and in this artwork I started out painting Cheech but changed my mind as I went along and ended up doing Dalmatians instead.  Although Cheech has the same colouring (check the YOUTUBE video on the Bio page, he is the black and white pup dressed in various outfit, poor child with a weird “mother”.) Great soundtrack too eh?

We suspect  that Cheech has A.D.D; he is like a fly on a string when you take him out for a walk on his lead.  I think he was probably traumatized as a pup, perhaps when he was left all alone in the pet shop cage for a couple of days after his 8 siblings had already found their new owners.

ART STUDIO

Well anyway he is scared of most things and very needy, follows me about and lies in the studio whilst I paint or sculpt, and also sleeps under the covers in our bed by my feet.

So this particular night I woke up because suddenly I had a dog in my face, shaking panting, dribbling and telling me to wake up.  It wasn’t long before I realized that we had a thunderstorm going on and as you guessed this brave little soul is a bit of a ‘scary cat’ .  As we were now both awake I thought we better both get up to do our ‘business”,  his turn first, but oh no do you think I could get him out the door.  Not on your Nelly, not with all that thunder rumbling, no he insisted that I come too and stood right next to him whilst he found a bush.

ART IMAGE

Now it was my turn, off to the bathroom we go, and you know this was 4am and I was still half asleep and stumbling down the hall way.  I  finally sit down, and lo and behold quick as a flash after another big thunderclap I suddenly had a dog in my lap on the toilet, and there was no way that he was going to get off until I was finished.  Lol  mmm…I feel another painting coming on…

Here is another saying from the book Wag Lines, said by Rita Rudner.

“My husband and I are either going to buy a dog or have a child.  We can’t decide whether to ruin our carpets or ruin our lives”

Till next time, happy painting and sculpting everyone!

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.

In this art blog I will continue with our San Francisco travels and the inspirations for lots of artworks to come.

So we finally got to Hotel Carlton, a Joie de Vivre Hotel (and it was too) but at first we thought maybe a little too much as it had a distinctive gay feel (not that that would worry us in the slightest, some of our closest friends are gay) no I thought we may rain on their parade not being gay.  That feeling soon went away as we were welcomed very warmly as everybody are to this establishment, a delightful boutique hotel that even has a Happy Hour for the guests in the afternoon, so Happy in fact that all the wine is free, together with entertainment and encouragement for the guests to mingle, needless to say we got Happy every afternoon.  So much so that we had stopped our sightseeing activities and  rushed back not to miss it!

CHINA TOWN & PAINTING

As you can see in this close up of the SF painting we were just a stone throw away from everything, China Town was nearby as were Little Italy, Union Square and many other interesting places to explore.  Happily we wondered about enjoying the sights and smells of this city with not a care in the world…… well that was until we caught the news on the telly and found out there was a so called Muni Stabber on the loose (so called because his first victim was stabbed on the Muni Trams) at this stage he had attacked 6 people (I think it was) in broad daylight.  Just sliding up on the quite like ( like a fish, for you fans of the movie Chicken Run lol)  What gave us the Heeby Jeebies is that  only a few days before we arrived, he had snuck up on some unsuspecting soul on the street we were staying on and stabbed away.  So now me and Bryan became very concerned about who was walking behind us,lol.

FOOD IN MY PAINTINGS

I always love painting food too so for research sake mind you, we ate our way through this city (I do like my food) and went to many fantastic restaurants and had, Chinese, Indian, Iranian, Mexican, Italian and our hotel had a fantastic restaurant serving Arabic fusion cuisine, delicious!

(To be continued)

I do agree with this quote from Tommy Lasorda (baseball manager) from the book ‘Don’t forget to sing in the lifeboats’;

When we win, I’m so happy, I eat a lot.  When we lose, I’m so depressed, I eat a lot.  When we’re rained out, I’m so disappointed, I eat a lot.

Me too!

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.

Sometimes I paint from personal experience and sometimes I paint and then experience and that is what happened here.  Some artists that I know hate doing commissions, I feel the opposite entirely, and I love doing them.  I think it is because it makes me take a look at a subject that I may not have painted otherwise and I strive to please the client, however I have been very lucky and most of the time get just guide lines and then my imagination can roam free.   The hard part is that you have to research the subject matter, but at the same time you then acquire knowledge and you never know where that can lead to.

This painting of San Francisco was a commission again for my US gallery and ended up being bought by an interior designer.  I had so much fun pouring through travel books and coffee books on SF, that I felt I had really been there, and finally last year we went.

THE ART OF TRAVEL

Our daughter went to Ecuador, son flew in from London and went to San Diego (we were to meet up later in LA) and me and Bryan hired a car for the drive from LA to SF.  What we did not realize was that it was the Thanksgiving Weekend which is the busiest time of the entire year on the roads!  So what should have been a 5-6 hour trip took us more than 12 to complete.  It was amazing to me that we got there in one piece as the multi lane highway is very scary not to mention they drive on the opposite side of the road, luckily Bryan felt confident to drive (and had been there and done that before anyway)  I on the other hand nearly held my breath the whole way and almost relished the traffic jams so that I could rest a bit.

MORE IDEAS FOR ARTWORKS

All experiences find their way into my art blogs or paintings in one way or another!  Anyway we finally arrived in San Francisco but then were unable to find our hotel, so after a lot of map looking and going on and off the freeway, we decided to ask in a liquor shop for directions (the idea being; get a bottle of wine for the hotel room and some takeaway Thai as now it was nearly 10pm and too late for a hotel dinner).

Bryan went in and I stayed in the car, but it wasn’t long before I realized this may just be the seedy part of SF as I had a passing parade of girls in miniskirts and people decidedly worse for wear walking past.  I tried to busy myself in the car (trying not to make eye contact) paying great attention to the contents of a rather boring handbag.  I was getting a bit worried I may soon get a job offer from some unsavoury characters and besides that there were 2 fellows drinking out of paper bags  right  outside the liquor shop were Bryan was.   I was trying to call Bryans mobile as 25 minutes had passed by and I couldn’t go looking for him (might get dragged into a dark alley lol) but that did me little good as his phone rang beside me on his seat!

Thought at this stage maybe Bryan had been pulled into a dark alley himself, however when he finally got back to the car, he also had a long tale to tell, with a handful of directions on several bits of paper.  The funny thing is that all of those directions differed from each other, the store keeper gave one version as did his wife, then a customer had called his wife as she worked close to the Hotel, and someone else said that was not right and gave another version.  Finally a totally legless man had come in and said they were all wrong and given his version.  Would you believe the very drunk mans directions were spot on, and the others did not have a clue, as it happens!

(to be continued)

Here is another saying I like by Ernest Hemingway;

“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk.  That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie

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.

When I wrote this Art Blog my son Kai was working and living in London while on his gap year from uni.  Whilst there he decided to follow his roots and visit my birth country and home for the first 14 years of my life; Sweden.

Here is one of my paintings on the midsummer theme from my wonderful childhood.   What I only just now found out was, that my Swedish exhibition had been a sell out and that my dear auntie and cousins had traveled half way across Sweden to purchased some of my artworks.

My son stayed with several of our relatives and was looked after so well and given a big insight into the Swedish culture.  It was amazing to hear all about his adventures from the other side of the world.  Kai visited my childhood home that my father Ted (also an Artist) built, the new owners showed my son throughout.

Then a visit to my mother’s home where she grew up, and the graves of my much beloved grandparents, Hillivi and Erik, whom my children were named after.  Lunch in a cafe my grandmother worked in and then across town to see my father’s school and the house he grew up in.

MODEL & FASHION SHOOTS

I was thrilled and very moved that my son at 22 took lots of pictures and seemed genuinely interested, a far cry from his naughty mother who went to Europe to model at around the same age.  Apart from working, the only other sights I saw were the insides of discotheques.  Oh perhaps I saw some sights in the early morning light as I walked back to the hotel, whilst carrying my shoes.

Thought nothing of partying all night and still being able to look the part and have the stamina for the fashion shoot the next day.  I can’t do that too often these days, although I do give it my best shot sometimes. Lol….

Here is another quote which amuses me…..

‘I like to have a martini, two at the very most.  After three I’m under the table.  After four I’m under the host.’

Dorothy Parker

Hope you come back and visit me again, till then 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 acrylic on canvas board painting is called La De Da Shangrila , it was inspired by my birthday celebrations in Bali. If you look closely at the artwork you will find me in the middle on the balcony in a blue dress drinking a cocktail,my cousin Dan and his partner Johnny are on the left.  Hubby is doing a spot of fishing in the yellow boat and our kids Kai and Hillivi are in the middle on the foreshore waving to you and friends are all around us.

THE ART OF AGING

So another birthday was waiting in the wings, my thought has always been that bring them on-they certainly beat the alternative!! But do they have to come so thick and fast, lurching from one to another without getting a chance to catch my breath?  Just did the big one a year and a bit ago, was feeling quite depressed at the thought – you know would I suddenly lose my sex appeal, age overnight, fall apart, loose my figure, become disinterested in the opposite sex.  My motto has always been as far as the opposite sex goes ‘Just because I am on a diet, doesn’t mean i can’t read the menu, right?lol  Nothing wrong with just looking!  So I thought long and hard about my “Problem” and realized ageing was only just in my mind.  Nothing that drastic had happened to the exterior yet.  I decided there and then, I was not going to do the big 5 0, I was going to turn 25 plus 25.  I went to bed very happy that night and have not felt depressed since, it’s all just a state of mind.  Hope you enjoy this painting La De Da Shangrila of my fantastic birthday party in Candi Dasa in Bali.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AND VINCENT VAN GOGH

My darling husband Bryan organized the whole thing, 2 separate 25^th birthday parties two nights in a row, the first party in our favourite restaurant, Vincent (yes the artist) and the other on the roof of our time- share.  We had invited some of our closest friends to come and celebrate with us and our kids of course.  We were 13 all in all, and had the most fantastic time with a big banquet, great band the 3 amigos (which turned into 4)  the wine flowed all night and even a few of the staff joined in the festivities with lots of really mad crazy dancing.  Our guests stayed with us for a week and we so enjoyed showing “our” Bali and its wonderful sights and smells and treasures to our friends.  The night of my actual birthday was spent climbing a volcano, so that we could have breakfast with an amazing view, followed by snorkeling and daily massages and lots of fun and partying.  Lots of inspirations for more painting!

So hey if you are about to turn 50 or any other number- I highly recommend it.  As I said before, it certainly beats the Alternative.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all!

Love Marie xxxx

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.

So here I am again, talking to myself lol, or maybe you, if you are out there somewhere.  So my artist website is finally up and running after its initial crash and then what seemed to be an eternity whilst it was being redesigned by Powwow.  And they did a very good job too I am pleased with it.  Hope you all use the E cards, free of course and add your own caption to a couple of them.  I have had fun thinking of captions myself, but I am sure you can think of plenty. You should find something there for every occasion.  We will be changing them from time to time to, like Christmas and Valentine’s Day etc.  This painting now a print and a portion of it is an E-card “The true colours of Hindley Street” is a favorite of mine.

HINDLEY STREET

I had so much fun painting this and it was bought by a psychiatrist and hangs in the waiting room, where it is very popular with the clients.  In my youth Hindley Street in Adelaide, South Australia was The place to hang out, we would often “crack a Hindley” and check out what was going down, lol.  You would find every type of person there, much like Kings Cross in Sydney.  The establishments offered everything from fast foods, to books, gelaterias, charity shops, pasta and pizza, nightclubs, dry cleaning, as well as adult only shops and strip joints.  People of every race and religion was there just to look or in the case of The Salvation Army and The Hare Krishna’s, there to convert some wayward souls.  Don’t know if it did them any good but it certainly was interesting.

So what a fantastic place for an artist to get inspired to paint a picture, there has been many reincarnations over the years and different shops have come and gone, but basically the feel of the street has remained the same.

If you are not familiar with the twisties packets in the pockets of the raincoat brigade, you may have to listen to the lyrics of Skyhooks’ Living in the Seventies Album’.  Lol, they were a major influence on me and a band I still love.  Mmm…Talking bands, AC/DC you ROCK!!

ARTnBED – ARTWORKS ON YOUR BED

There has actually been a very interesting development in this story as this painting Hindley Street has this year 2012 been made into quilt covers or duvet by ARTnBED.   So if you are interested in having art not only on your wall but also on the bed here is a couple of links for you to check out ArtNBed website and also my blog on the subject 140 ART n BED as well as the page ARTnBED.  Look out for more of my artworks, as the bedding range will be added too soon.

Here is another saying that amuses me…

God may have created man before woman but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you too!

Much 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.

We Swedes are weird, you know in a nice way, and it wasn’t until we immigrated to Australia that I realized that fact.  Well if you don’t believe me take a look at the painting below.  That’s an Easter painting that I was commissioned to do by my American gallery a few years ago.  The owner like me is Swedish and I had free reign to paint whatever I choose as long as it was to do with Easter.  Notice something strange about it, what’s with all the witches on broomsticks I hear you say????  Well that’s perfectly normal, no little cute bunnies for us Swedes, no we have witches flying around and flying off to Blakulla (the Blue Mountain) to meet the man downstairs!

As a child we would dress up as Easter witches, raided mums or grandma’s wardrobe for long skirts wore colourful head scarves and painted our cheeks red, and then we would go from house to house in our neighbourhood and knock on the doors and be given lollies and sometimes fruit.  Much like the Americans does for Halloween.

PAINTING EGGS

We would also spend a day painting boiled eggs which would later be eaten for the Easter celebration together with a smorgasbord feast.  We would go and pick small branches and twigs of willow and birch (the ones with lots of soft little fury buds, so cute!) and then we would decorate it with feathers and small witches on broomsticks and other decorations much like a little Christmas tree.

Here is the painting framed and now you can see the eggs on the side.  Yes we would receive an Easter egg to but not one made from chocolate, instead it was made from cardboard with bright pictures on it or from plastic and usually filled to the brim with lollies and chocolates.

But of course mine was a bit different, always being the eccentric (oh yes I do admit that).  So what do you think mine was filled with, something really yummy, that I could not usually eat as much of as I would like of course….a jar of peanut butter that’s what.  Weird kid, weird Swedish kid.lol

If you fancy seeing this painting animated with all the witches flying around use this link on Youtube Art and Music with Marie

Here is a true fact from the book “The mammoth book of useless information”

Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, the same chemical that your brain produces when you fall in love.

So eat up good folks and also happy painting and sculpting everyone!

Till next time

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.