Oh the 1980’s – I remember it well, those Girls nights out.   Well some of it at least although I have to admit through a glass colored by gin and tonic or champagne.  Those were the days when I could party all night, sleep for an hour and still attend a fashion shoot the next day and look fresh faced and bushy tailed.  My girlfriends and I would hit all the clubs in town, know all the bouncers and never line up.  Our favorite clubs were Regines, Toucan & Toucan Two, Limbo and Jules.

GICLEE PRINT

This image is one third of a painting called “The true colors of Hindley Street” the whole one can be seen on this link; and is a Giclee print, the original acrylic painting was 25cm x 155cm and was bought by a Physiatrist  and hung in the waiting room.  It was very popular with the clients I’ve been told.

Hindley Street was the hub of the clubs and the place to go and hang out in the 70’s & 80’s and the painting was called Cracking a Hindley originally as that what we called driving very slowly up the street with all of the car occupants hanging out the windows and interacting with the goings on!

PAINTING IDEAS

When I had the idea to do this painting I went around and photographed all the shops and businesses that were memorable for me.  I used my artistic licence to cut out some of the less colorful places as well as adding all I had seen over the years into the picture at the same time but apart from that it is pretty true to life.  Hindley street has changed a little since those days but it is still frequented by the night-owls, and trying to catch a cab there at 4am in the morning without queuing for ages is an impossibility as I recently found out. (Old habits die hard,lol!)

MORE ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

However in those days I would spend all night on the dance floor, dancing up a storm, the music pumping through my veins with just enough alcohol to lose the inhibitions.  That was the time when Michael Jackson was still black and cute and sang Thriller, Billie Jean & Beat it.  Kevin Rowland from Dexy’s Midnight Runner’s singing Come on Eileen, wearing nothing but blue jean overalls.  Who can forget Frank the owner of Toucan wearing suits without a shirt complete with gold necklaces!  The Eurythmics certainly had it right – Sweet Dreams are made of this and they were my Golden years.   The last song the DJ would spin on the turn table was U2’s; Still haven’t found what I am looking for!

But at that hour of the morning round about 4-5 am – what I would be looking for, was a snack and so would all the other clubbers too.  So off to Marcellina’s we’d trot, meeting up for a pizza with all the other die hards, some a little worse for wear!  Then tip toeing home, shoes in hand with the sun only to do it all again the next night.  Oh those were the days!

I can still party up a storm although these days it takes a little longer to recover and perhaps count my drinks a little more carefully unlike Dorothy Parker who said;

“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”.

till next time

love Marie     (C)

(if you enjoyed that use these links for another couple of party story art blogs   51. When Laughter is the best medicine mmm…. and maybe a little bit of snake 53. A Hens night out..without mentioning the P…word!..impossible )

Footnote:  This Artwork has now been made into a Duvet and is on sale at ARTnBED website

http://www.artnbed.com/ Here is another blog about how that all came about if you fancy a read 140 ART n BED

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.

The invitation read” HENS NIGHT, come and join Fiona and dance the night away before she walks down the aisle on her wedding day!  Girl’s Night Out with fabulous food and wine, Dress code Bling”- and Yes it was and Yes we did!  We had so much fun but I must say that hen’s nights had changed a lot since when I got married, and this certainly inspired me to both paint and write art blogs.

Funny thing is I cannot actually remember my own hens night, maybe that is because I did love to party and probably had a dozen girls nights out before I actually walked down the aisle, or maybe that is also something that we should blame on the champagne.  Oh the champagne has a lot to answer for!

THE ART OF THE BUCKS NIGHT & STAG NIGHT

I do remember that Bryan had a bucks night though, well maybe that is because there is pictorial evidence documenting the terrible deeds!  That was in the day when the groom would get tarred and feathered.  So there is a photo of a rather worse for wear groom standing in his jocks with shoe polish all over him, and I mean ALL over him.

Lucky for both him and I that it all ended well as some stories I have heard of what the so called “mates” do to each other sometimes ends in tears.  This next story is a classic example.  One” groom to be” was tied up after a very heavy night of partying to the pole of a jetty, by his best man and some mates.  It was a hot balmy night and the tide was out so the lads figured all was sweet and left him there and continued to party up the street.

THE ART OF SURVIVAL

Well a few hours passed as they do when you are having fun and finally they thought they better check on the groom, who at this stage was now millimeters away from drowning, the water was lapping up under his nose and he had to time his breath after each wave.  If they had waited another couple of minutes there would not have been any wedding to go to.  He lived to tell the tale but the story ended bitter sweet anyway as that was the last time that the best man and the groom ever saw each other, he and the other couple of mates involved were persons non grata at the ceremony and 20 years later they haven’t spoken to each other again, the bride saw to that and who can blame her.

This painting depicts seals at the Zoo (which sold in Japan) and the only thing it has in common with this story is the being up to ones neck in water!

ARTISTIC IDEAS FOR FUTURE PAINTINGS

Anyway us girls are a little more kinder to each other and these days the last night of freedom (as it were) are carefully orchestrated affairs with every little detail taken care of by very dedicated and wonderful bridesmaids and maids of honors.  At this one for my gorgeous niece Fiona (who is marrying handsome nephew Regan) held at the Ambar Lounge at the Ambassadors Hotel, there were hors D’oeuvres and drinks, a scrumptious main meal and for dessert a Penis cake.

Mmm…haven’t I mentioned that word yet!!!  That’s funny as they were everywhere on this night.  Just the generic brand actually and not attached to an actual man or anything!  There were lots of games both guessing ones, like” What part of the body does the groom prefer on his bride to be”, and each right answer was rewarded with a small gift which was a little bit naughty.

Then there was “Pin the tail on the Donkey” although in this case “he” was definitely not a donkey and “it” was certainly not a tail”.

Would you believe that I was the winner of that game, go me!  I obviously know where they grow, lol, although I will have to admit the blind fold was not done up too tight and I actually had a little peek.  Naughty me, and that won me a tube of Chocolate Body Paint, funnily enough my daughter came second and she got a funny little toy in a box, we haven’t figured out what it is yet, looks like a little torpedo, lol.

SEX & ART

The Penis cake was to die for and both I and my daughter was wildly excited it was also gluten free, so we could actually eat some.  It was presented with lots of little chocolate penises around it on a silver tray and the chief bridesmaid had made it herself, obviously another artist in the making!

She said her husband came home unexpectantly whilst she was baking and wondered if she always made penis cake and chocolates whilst he was away.  She also pointed out that the cake had collapsed a little in the middle but she had got over that problem by filling that part up with cream,  which all us girls thought was rather authentic anyway!

The rest of the girls went out clubbing afterwards and I should have too, as life is too short to sleep it away, next time!  But this time I caught the train home with my little box of goodies- oh did I forget to tell you about them, all of us got a little box full of little naughty sweets, yep you guessed it in the shape of you know what!!

So there I was, sitting on that train which was absolutely full of people, some perhaps a little bit worse for wear just like me (well it was 12am on a Saturday night) and I could not help having a little giggle to myself thinking about what my little box contained!

So here is something I’ve learned said by J.A.Wheeler (physicist)

“If you haven’t found something strange during the day, it hasn’t been much of a day.”

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 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.