A couple of weeks ago I posted the art blog 185 PAINTING KINGS CROSS, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA and featured the first half of my acrylic on board painting of Kings Cross.  This time here is the second panel of that painting and as you can see the night life in this street never stops!

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

There are pimps and prostitutes, Rastafarians yes people from every class and culture, an eclectic mix of police, brothels, strip clubs & girlie reviews, pawn brokers, thieves, Salvation Army playing the tambourine, fire breathers, gays and straights, cafes and restaurants and a bakery.

THE ART OF A MASSAGE

Among all that if you look really hard you will find me and my hubby and our two kids as well.  Just on the left of the middle underneath the Swedish Massage sign you will find Chinese Massage and there on the footpath sitting on chairs in order from left to right are Kai (our son with ice cream) me (in the pink dress with hearts, I had long brown hair then) and my husband (curly blond hair and moustache) We are all enjoying a neck massage by the Chinese masseurs whilst our little daughter is standing on the footpath in front of Kai with an ice cream in her hand.  There is another random lady on the other side of hubby but we don’t know her!!

ART & CURIOSITY

We did have a lovely massage and an ice cream before going down to Circular Quay and catching the ferry to Bundeena and our little holiday house where we were staying whilst in Sydney for the wedding.  As an artist I find I get inspiration from just about anything and am curious about nearly every topic under the sun.

ART & THEATRE

Next time we go there I would like to see a play at the Griffin Theatre Company where they showcase Australian playwriting and contemporary theatre.  Several famous actors got their start there like David Wenham and Oscar winning Cate Blanchett.  The Cross Art Project has a wide range of contemporary, international and Aboriginal art on show there too with events such as workshops and film screenings.

UNDERBELLY ART

As I told you last time the illegal alcohol trade as featured in the Underbelly series was called sly grog and was infamous in The Cross led by the rival brothel owners Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh back in the day.  So if you are an Underbelly fan you must do the Kings Cross Razorhurst Tour.  It comes highly recommended and features the sordid tales of the criminal mastermind Kate and her war in the 1920 against the infamous madam Tilly and that dreadful razor gang.

COCA COLA & ART

Of course you must also have a photo taken beneath the iconic coke sign, which is just referred to as “The Coke Sign” and the red and white neon billboard was erected in 1974 and is located above the intersection of William Street and Darlinghurst Road.

Here is a quote I think fits well here by Pearl Buck,

“If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday”.

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.

As you can see by my art I am clearly an animal lover and have shared my life with many gorgeous creatures over the years.  I always love painting them too.  This acrylic on board artwork is from the vet’s waiting room and of course I had so much fun painting it too.  This story today is from the Undercover Vet who had an amusing story to tell about a patient of his and a rather intoxicated owner.

THE ART OF DRINKING

A middle age woman came into the vet with a large dog who was scratching and licking himself constantly.

The vet examined the dog while the nurse held him on the table. On his fur, there was an army of fleas all over. His body was crawling with the little buggers!
It was all explained to the owner (more than a little surprised she hadn’t noticed the fleas herself). The recommendation was to initiate some flea treatment and also treat the house for flea eggs.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION
This woman was clearly drunk, the alcohol on her breath was so strong, that her just breathing on the dog would probably have been enough to kill the fleas (or at least make them intoxicated enough to fall off sideways!). Her response to the advice was that we had no idea what we were talking about and that all her dog needed were steroids to stop the scratching. She denied that there were any fleas at all on her dog!

Here is another art blog with a similar theme 87 Art & It could be worse, they could be fleas with a cat painting and lots of bees and butterflies.

We then tried to point out all the fleas, the little parasites crawling around her dog’s body. The fleas were absolutely all over the dog, with a population density like Singapore, with bodies everywhere. The owner said that we were lying and there was nothing there. Understandably, the vet was getting annoyed by this woman’s stubborn and drunken behavior.

It was pointed out to the lady that both the vet and the nurse could clearly see the fleas and that if she didn’t have her beer goggles on and could actually see with any clarity at all, she would also be able to see them! She was told that she clearly didn’t value the vets professional opinion and promptly sent her and the poor dog on their way (probably back to the pub!).

THE ART OF APOLOGIZING

The following day, the lady returned to the clinic and sheepishly apologized for her behavior the previous day. She agreed that the diagnosis was correct and took both the flea control and medicine recommended.

So here is a quote from George Eliot that I think fits well here; “Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”

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.

Several years ago I was commissioned to paint a St Patrick’s Day painting celebrating all things Irish by my US Art Gallery. That was something that up until then had not occurred to me and one of the reasons I generally enjoy doing commissions so much is because there is always a new topic that you may not have thought of yourself and not only does it inspire you as an artist to paint it but it also makes you grow as a person by having to research whatever the subject is.

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

The brief for the painting was to include the St Patrick’s Day Parade, the Blarney Castle, kissing the Blarney stone, an Irish Pub, four leaf clovers, St Patrick’s the Saint, Leprechauns, a rainbow and a pot of Gold. So the above acrylic on board painting was the result.

THE ART OF CELEBRATING

Here in Australia St Patrick’s day is taken pretty seriously as well, it is not an official holiday as it is in Ireland but there certainly is much celebration, Guinness, Irish Whisky followed by drunkenness, lol – any excuse will do for the Aussies! Well I guess there are quite a few with Irish decent here, being as Australia was started as a penal colony and many Irish along with the English came over as convicts during the 19th century. Added to this are a large number of Irish people who also emigrated to Australia later on, so there was much artistic inspiration to be had.  I am not sure if in all this celebrating the fact that it is really a religious celebration is a little lost on most of us?

SAINT PATRICK ON A PAINTING

As you can see on my painting Saint Patrick is on the top right.  St Patricks day was made an official feast day in the early 17th century in celebration of Patrick who was born into a wealthy Romano-British family in AD 385 and died on the 17th March AD 461.

Patrick’s grandfather was a priest and his father a deacon and he studied to become a priest, although that was after his ordeal of being kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. He apparently then had a dream where he was told by god to flee from his captors and that is what he then did in real life and returned to Britain. Later on after he had finished his studies he went back to Ireland as a bishop and is thought of as the principal champion of Irish Christianity.

BLUE AND GREEN COLOURS

Originally the colour associated with St Patrick was blue but that had changed as early as the 17th century, so these days all the Irish revellers dress in green colour and you see them all spilling out onto the street from all the pubs, particularly the dedicated Irish pubs which are very popular anyway in Australia.

THE ART OF COUNTING MONEY

Let’s not forget the Leprechauns either, not that I have ever seen one in real life but I have been reliably informed that they do exists and can be found at the end of every rainbow, next to the pot of gold counting their money stored away from making shoes! You really should try to catch one as they have magical powers and will grant humans three wishes in exchange for their release. They are easy to spot too as they are no taller than a small child, clad in a green coat (sometimes red) wearing a beard and a hat.

Or perhaps we better just stick to the old plan of working for a living eh?

So I leave you today with an Irish Blessing for all of you;

“May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light. May good luck pursue you each morning and night.”

Till next time happy painting, sculpting and celebrating.

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.

Today’s art blog was going to be about something entirely different but then when I turned on my computer and checked the emails I got sent “50 Life Lessons” by Regina Brett by a friend.  Well actually it was called 45 life lessons in the email and also said to be written by a 90 year old whereas the real author is only 56 however the contents and the life lessons that were brought up so resonated with me that I did want to share them with you.

ACRYLIC PAINTING

I though this acrylic on board  cat painting would go well here as it is called “Celebrate our nine lives”.   Underneath this artwork are “THE 50 LIFE LESSONS “and afterwards I will tell you a bit more about the wonderful author/columnist/journalist Regina Brett.

THE ART OF LIFE

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.                                                                                                                                  

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.                                                                                                                                  

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now                                                                                                                        

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift..

MORE ART BLOGS WITH QUOTES TO LIVE BY

If you want to read some more uplifting quotes by a variety of different authors have a look at these art blogs 136 Quote and Unquote in Art and 148 Art and my Favourite Quotations

THE ART OF THE AUTHOR

Regina Brett was born 31^st of May 1956 and is a journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist and writes for the Plain Dealer which is a daily newspaper in Ohio.  To date she has also written two books “God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little detours”  as well as “Be the Miracle: 50 Lessons for making the impossible possible” which was published in 2012.  She has been nominated for umpteen awards and also won several outright for her writing.

THE ART OF LIFE

Regina says her lessons in life comes from being a single parent for the first 18 years, struggling to find the right partner and battling breast cancer at 41 years of age.  Put that together with healing the bruises from a bumpy childhood and also what she has learned from her readers during her time as a journalist.  She says she is thrilled to be growing old – having battled breast cancer especially, however it is slightly amusing that she is said to be 90!

She says that she is happy for her life lessons to be forwarded on as long as her name is kept on them of course.

So I leave you then with Regina Brett’s quote;

“Growing old beats the alternative – dying young”

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.

This painting is a self portrait of me a couple of years ago when I had viral meningitis,(that itself is another story)  but what I want to focus on is the book that I am reading in this acrylic on board artwork, this painting which was bought by a psychiatrist  funnily enough.  Anyway the book is called “From France with Love” and is written by my dear friend Nadine Williams.

We  have been friends ever since she did a story about me in the South Australian daily newspaper The Advertiser where she had been a Senior Journalist for the last 20 years.   Here is a link to some of the stories photos from the Advertiser on my website News and News Archive

Over the years I have lost count of the number of times I have been interviewed, both as a model and an artist and I have meet lots of great reporters, but Nadine was really someone special and we immediately struck up a great friendship.

I think I liked her right away because she is such a warm hearted person, another generation up from myself but very young in her thinking, with an open mind and knowledgeably in just about every subject having dwelt into stories from around the globe at some stage or another.  Now Nadine has had some amazing things happening in her life lately.  Firstly she fell in love with a wonderful Frenchman Olivier Foubert.  He is quite the business man in his own right being the man behind the famous ‘Caleche by Colette Foubert ‘label, with a wicked sense of humor for a soft spoken very French kind of guy.   He totally cracks me up with his sly and dry remarks!

THE ART OF WRITING

Nadine decided to write about their love story with ‘baggage’ as she calls it, love in mature years and all that entails, and including a road trip in France.  The book became a best seller and the rest of course is history, as the book has now been optioned for a movie by acclaimed film producer Peta Astbury.  Peta shopped the possible film around Cannes recently, with quite a bit of interest, ”as there seems to be a gaping hole in the market for films targeted at baby boomers”,  she says.

ARTIST WEBSITES

Nadine and I have been on this website journey together as our websites were being designed at the same time, both of us with no knowledge in the world of the web or even with technology as our long suffering husbands know.    However, never say never,  because here we both are making quite an inroad on the net and getting some very good traffic numbers too.

So perhaps you may like to check out Nadine’s site, she is writing hers in a magazine style, offering up a regular blog on the delights of the French Kitchen, as well as covering everything from women’s issues, spirituality and sexuality, yes you will find articles on all matters, love, loss, relationships, family dynamics and divorce, gossip and book and movie reviews.  The age group she is aiming for is the 50 – 100 but I know it would appeal to a younger audience too.

So check it out www.nadinewilliams.com.au

Nadine and Ollie

But hey, don’t forget to come back and visit me too lol.

Here is a quote I like from writer Katherine Mansfield:

“Make it a rule of life never to regret and never look back.  Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only for wallowing in.”

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

Love Marie    (c)

(As you can see the book I painted and the one Nadine is holding in the photo below looks quite different, well that is because they changed the book cover for the second edition.)

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.

Over the years I have done quite a few paintings and mosaics of mermaids and here is one I would like to share with you called “What the?”  It is acrylic on board and actually framed in mosaic, but that part was not photographed before it sold unfortunately.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

I have always thought of mermaids as the beautiful women of the sea and as a child dream about swimming about effortlessly, just as my little niece Annika does now, she is totally fascinated by the mythical legend.  It goes without saying that her whole room is full of mermaids in every description.

The word Mermaid is actually from the French language “mer” is the word for “sea and “maid” the word for woman.

ARTS AND MOVIES

My favorite mermaid movie would have to be Splash a fantasy/comedy starring Darryl Hannah and Tom Hanks.  The 1984 American movie was directed by Ron Howard and also won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Darryl Hannah was the mermaid and looked like Lady Godiva of the sea and the mermaid tail that she wore was fully functional.  Apparently she was able to swim so very fast with this tail that her safety swim team could not keep up with her.  This was due partly to the fact that Hannah had been fascinated with the Hans Christian Andersen’s tale The Little Mermaid, and had as a child practiced swimming with her legs bound together.

BOOKS AND ART

The classic Hans Christian Andersen’s tale is of course a darker story as anyone familiar with this Danish Author knows, whereby the mermaid takes the sea witches potion to exchange her tongue for real legs, and if the prince falls in love and marries her, she will get an eternal soul.  Otherwise she will die brokenheartedly and disintegrate into foam!!

So all you out there who dream about becoming a mermaid, watch out – it’s not all it’s cracked up to be!  Never mind then the mermaids in the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ where they are ferocious and fearsome and looking more like vampire fish – although beautiful of course.  How else could they lure men to the bloody and brutal demise!

I do think I prefer the sweeter version the “Little Mermaid” cartoon from the Disney stable where everything works out just fine.

MERMAIDS IN SCULPTURE

When I was little and we lived in Sweden I really enjoyed our visits to Denmark and loved to see the gorgeous sculpture in bronze at the Copenhagen harbor in Langelinie where the Mermaid sits on a rock.  The statue was made by sculptor Edward Eriksen and his wife had been the model for it.  Carl Jacobsen from the Carlsberg family (well known for the beers) had commissioned the artwork in 1909 because he had been fascinated by the ballet of the Little Mermaid.

Another memory of Copenhagen is when we went to the zoo.   Mum and dad must have been feeling the pinch a bit being on holiday and all; and told my brother (who really was quite big) to sit in a pusher/stroller, that you could hire there and then tried to pass him off as a 4 year old when he was really 6.  I remember the funny look on his face and the fact that the man in charge did not quite believe the story but let us in anyway.

Lol little bit of naughtiness must run the family as my husband and I did the same trick a couple of times when the kids were little.  However not with the same success as our daughter, little Miss Hillivi who was always a handful (if you remember from other art blogs) and would pipe up and say “No I’m not 4 you know, I’m really nearly 7”.  Caught out again, lol.

So I leave you then with a mermaid poem by  William Butler Yeats (Irish poet and playwright)

“A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xxx    (c)

If you enjoyed this art blog you may also like this one; 68. We’ve been to Bali too & Art

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.