This has been a busy week in the art studio as usual, still I try to post at least one post every day on social media to keep my profile up and also to have fun and interact with my lovely friends both from real life and new made in cyberspace!

If you would like to follow me on the other media platforms here are some links which you can either copy and past or just click on the highlighted names;

Instagram; http://instagram.com/marie.jonssonharrison   Pinterest; http://www.pinterest.com/artnaive/  Facebook ; https://www.facebook.com/Naiveartbymarie  Twitter; https://twitter.com/Naiveview so come on down and be part of the fun!

INSTAGRAM

I find these days that Instagram is ticking along nicely without the annoying ads and popups seen on Facebook so firstly here are a few of my post from there.

CERAMIC AND MOSAIC SCULPTURE

Then there was the Carrots and Peas artwork a sculpture made out of ceramic and mosaic posted with this quote;

“Life is not like a box of chocolates.  It’s more like a jar of jalapenos.  What you do today might burn your ass tomorrow.”  ~Author Unknown

FUN WEEKEND

We did also have a most enjoyable weekend down at Hindmarsh Island staying with good friends and taking part in the annual Yacht Challenge.  Here is our efforts in dressing up as The Sopranos!

ARTWORK

Pottering of the Port artwork always receives a lot of attention and has also made it into quilts and duvet, shams and pillowcases made by ARTnBED selling in New York and Israel as well as on the internet.  My quote for this artwork was;

“Remind yourself it’s OK not to be perfect!”

I couldn’t agree more with that as we often put too much pressure on ourselves in that department.

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and to you all.  Wishing you a lovely week.

Love Marie xxx

FOR EXPLORING MY WEBSITE HERE ARE A FEW LINKS

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 we are looking back over the week I thought this quote by Doug Larson may resonate;

“Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.”

Funny thing about Facebook you find both old and new friends from around the world, some are only acquaintances whilst other come to mean much more than that over time.

ACRYLIC PAINTINGS

Here is one of my acrylic on board paintings from the Zoo series of naive art (most of those sold in Japan), anyway as you can see the painting has been joined by what seems to be a little blue Cookie Monster.  Well you are half right – that is Triki En El Mundo (Triki in the World) and somehow or another he is a friend of mine on Facebook, well who can resist when a cookie monster comes calling and wants to be your friend!

HAPPY ART

So I must say I was very intrigued why this cookie monster had his own Facebook page and I was seeing his post through my news feed often.  He seemed to be linked to a lady by the name of Arual Laura who also would appear with Triki from time to time.  Their posts were mostly in Spanish so I couldn’t quite follow everything that was said but what I did understand was that both Triki and Arual were very fond of art and culture. They had the same idea about Facebook as me, which is to use it to try to make people happy and put a smile on someone’s face.

ART AND THE INTERNET

Both Arual and Triki was also very complimentary about my art and so one day after Triki commented on my paintings and said “Always fascinated by your Art” I replied and told him that I was very fascinated by Triki and wanted to know all about him.

So this is what Triki En El Mundo- The Cookie Monster said to me;

“To make a long story short I met the Doctor Arual Laura through Internet.  I was living in Victoria, Canada with our friend Rob Agnew. The Doctor was just divorced and was feeling sad and lonely.  Rob and her wife Sheila used to speak with her through video conference to try to cheer her up.   She loved cookie monster and Rob put me every day in front of the camera to make her smile.  She seemed to have a crush on me, so one day Rob put me inside a box and sent me to Spain as a Xmas present with a short note that said;

“You are blonde, beautiful and you are alone, so I have decided to come to Spain to sleep with you and to take care of you”

Rob died 3 years ago and the Doctor put a picture of me on her Facebook as homage to him.  Her friends began to speak with me; I seemed to be lot of fun, a new picture every day.  Finally the sponsors of Barça football team met me as I am a Barça great fan and took me with them to Wembley for the final of the Europe cup in 2011.

I became famous and opened my own Facebook.  Since then I am here, supporting art and culture, having fun and travelling with lot of different people… everyone seems to want to take me round the world, I am quite a lucky plush toy, I always travel free. “

ART BLOG

So now you understand why I had to write a blog about Triki and Arual it is such a sweet story.   I hope one day that Triki can come and visit me in Australia but for now I will have to be happy that he was able to “join” me in some photographs at least.  When I asked if I could write a blog about them Triki also told me that he lives a life like anybody else.  He has 5 brothers at home and even a son – he is a single father as his girlfriend ditched him and has many cousins all over the world.

ART AND TRAVEL

He likes to travel with anyone who will take him around and has been to Morocco, Poland, France, England, Turkey, Czech Republic, Cuba, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, India and seen most of Spain.

Triki is also invited to all sorts of events as you can see from his pictures, weddings, marathons, concerts, cinema, theater, art exhibitions and as mentioned to the Wembley Europe Cup final between Barca and Manchester United.

Here is two quotes I think fits well here;

“The Word is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page”

by St. Augustine and also;

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. ” by Mark Twain

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and just like Triki cheering people up!

Love Marie xxx

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 was thrilled recently to see a well respected interior design company Classica Decor feature my art and the bedding designs from ARTnBED on their website.  If you would like to have a look what they wrote in their blog use this link CLASSICADECORBLOG.  This acrylic on board painting of hot air balloons flying over the Barossa Valley in South Australia was one of the artworks they featured on their blog.

INTERIOR DECORATING

Classica Decor is based in Miami, Florida where they are not only a major force to be reckoned with in the interior designers sphere but they have also come up with a “Design Touch eBook program” for all you around the world who want to decorate your own houses.

In their consultation meetings, they frequently came across clients who had tried to decorate their own homes.  After buying a few items they felt overwhelmed, lost and frustrated and were unable to finish what they had started as all the components of the rooms did not seem to fit together.

DECORATIVE ART

That is why Debra and Dafna from Classica came up with this wonderful program which includes the eBook, 5 tutorial videos and online support.  Both have spent many years immersed in global culture and from this international background Classica has a worldwide perspective on design and moved away from the typical formulaic ideas which they replaced with the unexpected element, making their creations stand out among the rest.  I can only imagine that is also why my artworks appealed to them.

DESIGN AT HOME

The “Design Touch Program” is offering solutions to home decor dilemmas and the Classica’s support team will answer any questions.  The members can email in their photos and get personal advice and all the while the eBook covers everything from calculating a budget to new decor, how to choose a color palette, combining fabrics, colors, prints, furniture  both old and new.   How to buy readymade pillowcases and drapes or even how to make them yourself shown in detailed videos all made easy with the Classica’s support team on hand.  The eBook itself is divided into 10 day/sections, each section will guide you through a different topic, all the way from getting the inspirations to installing the new decor.

GOOD DESIGNS AND GREAT IDEAS

The eBook was created for people who strive for a beautiful decor in their home and wants to create it themselves.

The website shares great ideas and good designs with many before and after photos, an interesting blog full of great tips and they work closely with each client to design exactly what their heart desires.  So whether you want their professional decorators to do it all from concept to deliver or you want to do it yourself through the eBook give ClassicaDecor a go.

So here is a quote I feel fits well here by an unknown author;

“Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions”.

Till next time happy painting, sculpting and interior decorating 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.

So here I sit in my studio painting an artwork for a upcoming overseas art exhibition, the theme of this one is Sydney and it’s skyline which of course makes me think of this painting below that I painted many years ago after we had been to Sydney for a holiday.  If you look closely you will find hubby and I with the kids behind the Monorail driver.  This painting sold in Japan and that is rather fitting as it was in Tokyo during my modelling days that I first became fascinated with Monorails, so it goes without saying, wherever I come across one I want to have a ride.  I have always loved train travel and this love is just an extension of that I think.  Although not all train stories are good, lol here is a link to see what I mean; 179 ART AND CHAINED TO THE RAIL WAY TRACK

Sadly the Sydney Monorail is no longer in operation as it closed this year and apparently 2 of the carriages will be used by Google in Sydney as their meeting rooms.

SIGHTSEEING AND ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

However it was a great way to see Sydney and we did many a loop around just as sightseeing trips before getting off and exploring by foot.  Last week’s blog 202 ART, Phuket and Tripadvisor features a painting from the Chinese Garden which you can find in Darling Harbor which was one of the stops on the way.  If you go to the Chinese Gardens do make sure you enjoy a traditional tea in the Teahouse – we sat on the balcony and were joined by little cute birds, a real oasis in a big city.

THE ART OF THE REVOLVING RESTAURANT

Another thing we enjoyed in Sydney was the Centrepoint tower and I have lost count of the number of times we have been there, both as a family and alone.  It has a great revolving restaurant, another thing I love and try to do in all the cities that have them on my travels.   The trick is to go for an early dinner so you can see the city skylines in daylight and then as the sun comes down enjoy all the lights flickering on for a night time experience.

Sydney Tower (Centrepoint) is the tallest freestanding structure in Sydney and used to be the tallest in Australia until Q1 (meaning Queensland Number One) was built on the Gold Coast.  The Q1 used to be the tallest residential building in the world until it lost its title to Dubai and its Marina Torch.  Your mind boggles really to think of what the future will bring with each city wanting to have the tallest building, in the end it will all end in tears I suspect.

THE ART OF THE BUCKET LIST

Sydney Centrepoint is 309 meters tall and sits in between Pitt and Castlereagh Street on Market Street on top of Westfield Sydney.  It comprises of three sections; Sydney Tower Dining, Bar and Dining and Sydney Tower Buffett which includes fine dining, buffet and a function area.  The forth section is the observation deck called Sydney Tower Eye which has a fully enclosed platform with 360-degree of the city as well as a 4D cinema with effects of wind, fire and bubbles.  Love that lol, I am just a big kid at heart!  Then there is the Skywalk; an open air platform high above at a height of 268 meters with glass flooring encircling the tower, this is something I haven’t had a chance to try yet but is on the Bucket list to do when next I go to Sydney.

The Sydney Tower has also been featured in several movies such as Supernova, Godzilla: Final Wars, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and perhaps the most famous one starring Tom Cruise was Mission Impossible 2.

So keeping the Bucket list in mind, here is quote I like by Nicolas de Chamfort;

“Contemplation often makes life miserable.  We should act more, think less and stop watching ourselves live.”

Till next time happy painting, sculpting and living!

Love Marie xxx

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 just stumbled on an interesting fact as I was writing another art blog about my art being on duvet and quilts featuring the rather new crisp looking white Hindley Street set.

I was amazed that it seems to be a Swedish invention: my home country and here is a great article by Kate Watson-Smyth which was published in The Independent this week.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF:THE DUVET (by Kate Watson-Smyth)

“It was the 1950s, before the halcyon days of the swinging Sixties. Sir Terence Conran was in Sweden. With a girl. And he found himself lying under a strange cover that was a bit like an eiderdown but with no sheets or blankets between him and it.

He enquired casually what it was and was informed that it was a Slumberdown quilt. A few years later, he would be the first person to sell duvets in Britain in his new shop on the King’s Road in west London.

Habitat opened on 11 May 1964. It was selling a lifestyle and stocked new and interesting homewares – the chicken brick, the wok and, of course, the duvet. When the catalogue was launched in 1966, it became a coffee-table book in its own right and the store expanded rapidly throughout the country.

Sir Terence recalls: “People do credit me with bringing the duvet to Britain. I had been in Sweden in the 1950s and was given a duvet to sleep under. I probably had a girl with me and I thought this was all part of the mood of the time – liberated sex and easy living. It was wonderful that when you came to make your bed, it was just a couple of shakes.”

You have to admit that it was rather sweet that after his liberated sex, he even bothered to think about making the bed. Anyway, the continental quilt, as it was more usually known until the mid-1970s, wasn’t an instant best-seller. James Greig, the assistant producer of If Walls Could Talk, an intimate history of the home (to be shown on BBC 4 later this year), says: “When they first came out, people were very reluctant to give up their sheets and blankets, which might have been wedding presents. But the duvet was really pioneered by the housewives who loved the idea that it was so quick to make the bed. Habitat even had an advertising slogan: ‘the 10-second bed’. I think they had a few in some stores to see how they went and the advertising tended to include a series of illustrative pictures so people could see how they worked.”

Greig has been unable to pinpoint the very first appearance of the duvet, but says it was used mainly in Scandinavia and the colder alpine countries.

To start with, Habitat sold more single duvets than doubles as they were initially regarded as something that was good for children. But gradually they became accepted by everyone. Today, it’s practically impossible to find anyone who sleeps under blankets any more.”

ART ON BEDDING

I of course remember growing up in Sweden and sleeping under a quilt cover (duvet) so it makes me extra happy and proud to be having my art shown in this way by ARTnBED.  Just to make the connection a little more amazing for me was that the name duvet is what they were originally called in Australia (the country I know live in) now for the most part in Australia we refer to them as a Doona and the cover a Quilt cover.  Here are a few more links to see the other blogs and pictures of the bedding available.  I hope you like it. 140 ART n BED and 188. ARTnBED and the painting Pottering at the Port and here is ARTnBED website where all their artists and bedding products can be viewed.

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 SALEand SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

I just love being an artist, you never know from one day to another what may come your way.  This week I just found out that I had won first prize in 2 categories at the American Art Awards in LA.  The first award was for Naive Art where I entered “The true colors of Hindley Street” which has also been made into duvets for ARTnBED.  If you want to see the announcement on the HIGHLIGHT HOLLYWOOD website here is the link with the lovely article written by Tommy Lightfoot Garrett.  The second award was my painting “Noahs Ark” and that won first prize in the Religious section which was just announced today and can be seen on this link; AMERICAN ART AWARDS and both are available to purchase as limited edition GICLEE PRINTS on my website.

This image above is the one third of the actual painting, if you want to see the whole thing here is a link HINDLEY STREET COMPLETE

AMERICAN ART AWARDS

The American Art Awards is open to artists around the world and its President Thom Bierdz is a champion for all artists in all genres and takes great delight in introducing new artists to the American market.  The award is judged by 25 of the top art galleries in USA and here is the full list of the Top Galleries.

ALL ART GENERA

Thom is of course a very talented artist himself, self taught who enjoys all types of art whether its medium is oil, acrylic, photography, sculpture, pastel or any other form and the awards is open to all genres too; landscape, portrait, pop art, expressionism, realistic, outsider art, naive art, impressionism, erotic or whatever.  Thom himself cannot enter of course nor is he part of the judging panel, he leaves that up to the art galleries.  He did however send me a lovely message on Facebook and invited me to enter as he does with other artists whose work he comes across that he likes.  Although an invitation to enter is not necessary as it is open to all artists across the world.

ARTIST AND ACTOR

Thom Bierdz has had a very interesting career as both an artist and actor firstly starring in the Young and the Restless as Phillip Chancellor lll and also on Melrose Place.  Thom got a lot of publicity for coming out as the first gay actor in daytime television, although there seems to be a bit of controversy over that lately with Thom declaring that he is not gay after all but did that mainly as a publicity stunt, so at this stage this is still up in the air.  No doubt he is therefore breaking hearts on both sides of the ledger!  Thom has also added author to his achievements penning the candid memoir “Forgiving Troy” which he won both the Indie Excellence Book Award for Best Autobiography and the USA Book News National Best Book Awards in the Non-Fiction and True Crime categories.  He was also nominated for the Lambda Literary Award in 2008.

THE ART OF AN AUTHOR

“Forgiving Troy” subject matter sounds as it come straight out of the day-time soap operas Thom starred in but unfortunately this is the real story of his own journey to forgive and love his paranoid schizophrenic brother who killed their mother in 1989.  Troy is serving a life sentence in a Wisconsin prison.  As if this was not tragic enough Thom’s other brother then committed suicide leaving his older sister Kim as his only remaining sibling.

However Thom Bierdz continues to shine, winning acclaim and awards for his continued contributions to charity work for human rights, through his art, acting and writing.

So keeping Thoms struggle in mind here is a quote by Vivian Komori which I think fits all of us perfectly;

“Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce”

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 SALEand SCULPTURES for sale or WALLBASED SCULPTURES.  Enjoy an original artwork on your walls or perhaps one on your bed ARTnBED.

I am so happy to finally be able to announce that my 3^rd set of duvet (quilt covers) for ARTnBED is finally on the market.  It is called Pottering at the Port and the original painting was bought by the Country Arts Trust of South Australia at an exhibition a while back.  Now the wonderful Lior Rapaport and his company ARTnBED have chosen it for their new collection.

Lior writes a blog on his ARTnBED website and this is what he wrote about initially finding my artworks;

NAIVE ART IS GOOD FOR YOU

“I have been interested in art ever since I lived in Paris.  I spent many winters’ weekends in its great museums carrying a 6 month baby when her mother needed some sleep.  It was then when I started to develop my own taste. Impressionism, contemporary and modern paintings were my favourites, I love colourful paintings that inspire and make you happy.

A while back I landed on MOMA’s FB page to see what’s new – and my eyes popped out!  I was enchanted with the colours, details, joy that filled every corner of a naive painting by artist Marie Jonsson-Harrison from Australia.  It was the first time I saw Naive art and I was hooked.

It appears that in the past Naive artists were outsiders, not in the mainstream and not taken seriously or considered professional.  Therefore most of them painted for themselves.  It was only about 100 years ago that Naive art was accepted as an artistic mode of art.

Take my word for it – there is no art as raw, honest and engaging as Naive Art!”

Lior writes a great blog and with lots of interesting stories about his family, life, travels and of course art which you may enjoy to have a look at.

If you are interested to find out how this all eventuated when my first quilt (duvet) cover called Hindley Street was released here is a blog about that 140 ART n BED as well as a page on my website where I also wrote about it and now I will have to go and update it and add the 2 new designs there as well.

CHILDLIKE INNOCENT ART

When I paint and sculpt I enter into another world and imagine myself as part of the artwork perhaps that is what keeps me so happy and childlike, who knows?  Although my kids think sometimes I should act my age and hubbys always maintains its unbecoming for a 40+ woman to skip!  Lol but I don’t care I skip anyway – although I try not to do it in a crowded place, in case I get carted off and locked up!  Anyway when ARTnBED had decided to use my painting Pottering at the Port, Lior asked me to write a little “something” to put on his website about that and this was my thoughts;

“Sailing off from the Port to new adventures across the world and then returning to your loved ones waiting with open arms to embrace you.  This will be one of many wonderful dreams to be had when you sleep in “Pottering at the Port” by artist Marie Jonsson-Harrison.  Come on – come pottering around the port with us, perhaps have a snorkel or a drink at the local pub or just enjoy the buskers and the atmosphere.  Why not travel the seven seas in your dreams and wake up happy every morning without leaving your bedroom?”

So I leave you today with a quote from Lior Rapaport from ARTnBED who says;

“So with our duvet sets you can spend a day at the beach, a weekend in New York, enjoy the nightlife on Hindley Street and now… snorkel in bed.”

Till next time,

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.

As an artist you get inspiration from EVERYWHERE and in my case it really is from everywhere.   The busier the better as what some people have pointed out there seems to be a little of “Where is Wally” about my pictures.

This painting of Kings Cross is also a long and skinny piece of streetscape and features the hustle and bustle of Kings Cross, everything from the “ladies of the night” the prostitutes and pimps, police, brothels and strip clubs, Tiffany Jewellery, cafes and ice cream parlours, graffiti artists (see if you can read the graffiti) and pickpocketers, basketballers, Rajneeshees (Orange people, remember that cult?).

The painting then continues on the other panel (which I will share another time) with Rastafarians (Bob Marley) Yes people from all cultures, Salvation Army playing the tambourine, Swedish and Chinese Massage venues, Pawnbrokers, fire breathers, thieves, girly reviews also among all that are we; my husband and the 2 kids as we went there together one night after we had been to a wedding in Sydney many years ago.

ARTISTIC EDUCATION

Our son was only 4 years old and daughter was a baby in arms and before you think that I was a dreadful mother introducing them to the seedier sides of the railwaytrack so to speak. Let me say in my defense that we only spent a short time there having a look, eating an ice cream and having a Chinese neck massage each on the footpath. I have always believed in taking the kids with us everywhere so they get a full education of life in all it’s forms. So that they have all the information and knowledge needed before they reach an opinion on different subjects which seems to have served them well!

BOHEMIAN ARTLAND

Kings Cross is located 2 kilometres east of the Sydney centre and is known as The Cross which was the bohemian heartland and featured strongly in the Underbelly television series about the Australian drug and red-light capital of Australia. Most people that visit Sydney wander up there for a look to see how the other half lives. Among the strip clubs, topless waitresses and adult bookshops and nightclubs there are also trendy cafes and wonderful restaurants so it does have an interesting mix.

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.

FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN ARTISTS

Lots of artists, including writers, poets and journalists also made their homes in the area such as Peter Finch, Chips Rafferty and Sir William Dobell. The American service men flocked there during their R&R and organized crime and police corruption was rife.

However at the same time it was also the home to The Wayside Chapel, run by Reverend Ted Noffs (now deceased)who ran a drop in centre and counselling service whereby the church was open most of the time to everyone. The Ted Noff Foundation continues his good work today, supporting young people and the not so young in their hour of need.

ARTnBED

Those among you familiar with my work know that I painted the entertainment street in Adelaide, South Australia: Hindley Street which was later used by bedding company ARTnBED for a duvet.

Nadine Williams said in her article that this exciting quilt features all the one-time familiar icons of Hindley Street-Jules Bar, Downtown Leisure Centre, Flash Coffee Gelataria and Jerusalem Restaurant in a splash of vibrant street life. Crazy Horse nightclub is depicted alongside Goodwill Stores. And the instantly recognizable eclectic imagery is jammed with a multi-cultural crowd of people.

Here is a quote by Ian Seed, which suits me well. I love exploring new cities by foot and find that a fascinating past time.
“The city disappears street by street as you enter it.”
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.

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.

It is that time of the year again – SALA – when we celebrate the South Australian Living Artists and this year it is for the 15^th time.  How time flies!

This Acrylic on Canvas Naive painting called ” SURFIN ‘N’ SA” is one of 3 artworks in the Sala Exhibition.

Sala an idea which grew from a seed planted by Paul Greenaway who thought we celebrated the dead artists at the detriment of the living and I couldn’t agree more.  Sala is a showcase for us artists that are not dead yet and that is a club I want to belong to!

This year there are 3,453 participating visual artists exhibiting in 520 diverse ranges of venues.  You will of course find art in Art Galleries, studios, public spaces, cellar doors, movie theater foyers, cafes and restaurants around the whole of our state.

ART TRAIL

However did you also realize that down in Glenelg they are presenting an inspirational art trail that offers a visual feast to stimulate the senses.  Jetty Road in Glenelg has totally embraced the Sala concept and nearly every business on this road has artists work on display.  This means that when you come to the bay you will also see art in hairdressing salons, chemists, ice cream shops, clothes boutiques, real estate agents, shoe shops and jewellers, yes all kinds of business have gotten behind the art here at the bay.

I feel very lucky to have lived where art is appreciated and embraced, for a long time it was in the mid-north town of Balaklava and now by the sea.

This year I have been too busy with overseas exhibitions in Europe, painting for ArtnBed and Giclee Link and various commissions so I am not having a solo show.   Instead I am exhibiting with talented artists living in and around the bay.  This mixed exhibition was held at;

The Bay Discovery Centre

Glenelg Town Hall

Moseley Square, Glenelg

Open daily 10am-4pm

(81799508)

3-26 August 2012

ART AT THE BAY

The theme explored is Play at the Bay with over 20 artists taking part including Clint Habib, Cat Leonard, Dave Archer, John Hamilton, Margo Miles and Sue McKenzie.

Sue McKenzie is an artist who is doing interesting work collecting discarded furniture from the roadside which she paints in bright bold colors.  “One woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure” says Sue.  Sue’s work is also on display at the Better Health Midnight Pharmacies.

Another artist with two separate exhibitions for Sala is Sarah Philip her abstract work inspired by the ocean can be found on Jetty Road, Brighton in the Enuf Burger Bar as well as her stunning works of beautiful people which are my favorites showing at Westfield Marion – Events Cinema.

Here is a quote that I think we should all live by from William W. Purkey;

“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”

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.

Even during this economic downturn in Europe the members of Fivan, Szyb Gallery and Jacques Dubois particularly, has manage to pull off the impossible – another successful Naive Art Festival in Katowice, Poland.   As this exhibition is continuing into August I sincerely hope that you will try to some and see it.

This painting “Playing hide and seek” was in last year’s festival in Poland and crisscrossed the world as it ended up selling to a Japanese client.

This exhibition whereby artists from 32 countries around the world are chosen to take part is only the 5^th Art Naif Festival held in Poland and the host gallery is again the amazing Szyb Wilson Gallery.  It is the privately owned gallery in Poland and I would think one of the largest if not the largest private gallery in the world at 2500 square meters on two big halls and a balcony.  It is situated 10 minutes away from the city center in the Nikiszowiec district which is a historical settlement of Katowice.

The area where Szyb Wilson Gallery stands was in fact an old coal mine construction, a virtual wasteland.  As Jacques says it is very fitting that the naive festival is held in this place: “to change the image of a dirty and black city into a place where happiness and colors are together to warm the heart.  There’s nothing like naive artists to believe in things like that.  Improve the world, little by little and all together.”

ARTnBED

Last year Cuba was the guest country and this year we celebrate Israel and their wonderful Naive artists, they have a great history of Naive art with a terrific gallery that supports them in Tel Aviv called Gina Gallery of International Naive Art.  It is also from Israel that my latest venture with ARTnBED comes from with art works on duvet and shams (quilt covers and pillowcases) that were recently released both in Israel and USA.

NAIVE ART IN ISRAEL

The philosophy of Dan Chill the owner of Gina Gallery is as follows “GINA Gallery seeks to support the naïve artists‘ quest for “Paradise Lost;” to encourage them to share their timeless vision of everyday life; and to provide them with a forum to bare the child-like ruminations of their hearts and souls. In parallel, GINA Gallery hopes to facilitate the entry into this field of talented, mostly self-taught artists (young and old) who strive to relate – by means of brush, paint and canvas — the fairy tale figments of their fertile imaginations.

ART WORLD

GINA Gallery also seeks — by gathering and displaying worldwide naïve art — to expand the existing art lovers‘ awareness and appreciation of this multifaceted art form, and to introduce the wondrous beauty of this unique, easily-accessible genre to those who have been reluctant (for whatever the reason) to visit art galleries, thereby allowing naïve art, and those who paint it, to assume their proper place in the pantheon of the art world.”

ART WINNER

Last year’s winner of the Grand Prize of the Public 2011 was Stefen Lewis from Tanzania which means he has the honor of designing this year’s poster for the Festival.  This year Museum PASZIN, located in south eastern Poland was invited to submit 100 sculptures dating back from the early 60s.  Also the Museum of Lodz followed suit and presents 50 pieces on the theme of Mary, mother of Jesus.

This year even the best major Taxi companies have gotten behind the festival and are acting as “Ambassadors” handing out cards to the tourists with naive paintings on the back.  This is another ingenious idea by Jacques Dubois and his wonderful team from Fivan, Szyb Wilson Gallery and helpers from Poland and France.  We salute you!

Here is a great quote from Danny Kaye that I love;

“Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting to you all,

Love Marie xxx

If you enjoyed this art blog you may also like this one: 117 Henri Rousseau Naive Artist

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.

Finally I can share with you my exciting news; my artwork is now available in a bedding range with ARTnBed which launched in New York this week and available throughout the USA.

ART FOUND ON THE WEB

It all started in October 2011 when I was approached by Mr Lior Rapaport an Israeli entrepreneur, who had found my artwork on the MOMA Facebook website (Museum of Modern Art NY) and from there looked at the rest of my artwork on my own artist website.

ARTnBED bought the copyright (bedding) for my acrylic painting ‘The True colours of Hindley Street” and I will also receive royalties for the items sold.

Although I have been approached with various ideas before, this time I had no hesitation as Mr Rapaports care and consideration both for me as an artist as well as for the product and what he wanted to achieve was second to none.

HIGH QUALITY ART

The utmost care has been taken in the design face with high resolution printing on sateen fabrics, 100% cotton which was chosen because it was best suited to printing the high resolution images in the highest quality possible and was also beautiful to sleep in.

The exciting quilt features all the one-time familiar icons of Hindley Street, Adelaide, Australia which is the place where everything happens, Action, Atmosphere and Nightlife –Jules Bar, Downtown Leisure Centre, Flash Coffee Gelateria and Jerusalem Restaurant in a splash of vibrant street life.  Crazy Horse nightclub is depicted alongside Goodwill Stores.  And the instantly recognisable eclectic imagery is jammed with a multi-cultural crowd of people.

The South Australian Tourist Commission’s David O’loughlin thought this was so much fun and came up with the slogan; “Thousands of Americans are sleeping in Hindley Street tonight!”

The whole ARTnBED concept springs from Lior Rapaport and his wife Sharons 4 year spell living in Paris where they enjoyed strolling the beautiful streets, exploring the incredible museums, sampling the rich cuisine and soaking up the sights and sounds.  They discovered that they shared a passion for the arts and started a art collection together and when they finally left Paris it was with a trunk full of memories, original paintings and two beautiful daughters.

When it came to setting up a more permanent home together they found a gap in the market – there were no original artwork on luxury bed linen. So they started a search to find exciting artists so they could convert their vibrancy and spirit from the walls and on to the beds and voila ARTnBED was born.

With much success in Israel it is now New Yorks turn with many more cities and countries to follow.  Our Art, Your bed so follow your heart, sleep in Art.

So here is a quote by Jean Paul Richter which I think fits well here;

“Art is indeed not the bread but the wine of life”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting and maybe sleeping to you all,

Love Marie xxx

Here is my blog about the many crazy nights spent having fun in Hindley street called Girls Night Out.

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.

]]> https://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/140-artnbed/feed/ 3 https://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/107-girls-night-out/ https://mariejonssonharrison.com.au/107-girls-night-out/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:20:53 +0000 http://www.mariejonssonharrison.com.au/new/?p=2879 THE ART OF HAVING A GOOD TIME

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.

Happy Easter to everyone and I hope you are all having the loveliest of times wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

This acrylic painting “You and me and Bunny makes three” was one I painted many years ago when I first started out as an artist.  I have always been fascinated with animals and wonder how they are feeling and what they think.  I think we don’t give them enough credit and assume they only do things by instinct and not because they actually think about things.  I feel sure they are a lot more like us humans.

(Here is another link to my art blog and painting about how ants really live in apartments 70.  ‘’CONDO’S OF KATHERINE”)

That said perhaps I have gone a tad overboard in my depiction of how the rabbits live – but you never know – have you been down a rabbit hole?

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

Really, if I could I would have asked our darling dog Moses who lived to be 18 years old; he had the heads up when it came to rabbits and their dwellings.    When we lived in a renovated church, we had the grave yard right next to the house and the rabbits thought the grave yard was the perfect place for their burrows, so nearly every grave had a hole or two going down into it.  My little dog Moses thought it was so much fun to chase the rabbits down there, as he just fitted into the holes.  Quick as a flash he would be gone and I was always so worried when he disappeared as I thought he might get stuck underground, or even worse come out with a bone in his mouth and not of the rabbit variety, lol!

THE ART OF KEEPING COOL

We were told when we moved in,  that the graveyard was not used anymore, and we never felt one bit of unease living so close to it.  It seemed to me to be a very peaceful place however I was a little bit unsettled when I came home from work one day and found that a fresh grave had been dug and there was a big mound with flowers left over from a  funeral.  That feeling passed however and nobody that had been put to rest there ever came back to visit or haunt us.

THE ART OF CELEBRATIONS

We spent many wonderful Easters both in the church and at the farm and now this year will be the first one in the new house by the sea.   Things are still a work in progress around here but we will be joined by both kids and their lovely partners for a little celebration.  We won’t be having all the trimmings as there is only so much you can do when you live in on a building site, lol.

However I can guarantee that there will be lots of food and wine and laughs anyway.    How us crazy Swedes normally celebrate Easter is something I have already written about and if you missed this Blog 2. SWEDISH EASTER & Art I would really urge you to have a look as it is quite a scream and has enjoyed a lot of traffic on the net!

Here is a quote I like in the spirit of Easter from Kahil Gibran (Lebanese American artist, poet and writer)

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. “

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.

This water feature sculpture is one I was commissioned to do for the Balaklava Library (mid-north in South Australia), a few years ago.   I had of course lots of fun designing this sculpture and as I love both the water and books, so it was no stretch.   It is made from hebel and handmade ceramic and mosaic and took hours and hours to complete.

SCULPTURE GARDEN

The mural, water feature sculpture and garden were created in memory of Des Ross in recognition of his service to the local area as well as Australia.  Des was both the President of the Local Government Association as well as the Australian Local Government Assoc., and a board room in Canberra is named “The Des Ross Room” in his honor.   I will tell you more about him another time when I talk about the mural which accompanied this sculpture.

ART AND LOVE OF WATER

My love for the water started early in Sweden when I as a little girl where I used attend “learn to swim” during the summer months and would spend all my available time in the water at Lake Malaren which is the third largest lake in Sweden.  When I think about it I was also rather fond of the yummy freshly baked bun all the children were supplied with (less so of the lukewarm milk that went with it, yuck!)

SWIMMING & PAINTING

When my own children here in Australia went to primary school and I occasionally helped out with the schools swim lessons it was suggested that I may want to get paid as well.  So I went and did the AustSwim course and got my accreditation.  It was a fantastic way of spending some extra time with my kids and also getting out of the art studio, mixing with people and getting paid at the same time.  The swim teachings  grew into 12 weeks of the year and as the hours were 9-3pm I could still get quite a few hours done in the art studio when I got home.  Leading up to exhibitions etc I would even take the paintings to the pool and paint during my lunch time to keep up.

I really enjoyed the company of the other instructors and also found it very satisfying to see the children gain confidence in the water and eventually learn to swim.  My only beef was sometimes when the weather was freezing and we had to spend every lesson in the water, thank god for wet suits I say.  I think that perhaps that is why quite a lot of swimming instructors have a bit of shall we say- extra padding on their bones.  I would look at them with envy as they frolicked in the water whilst my lips were turning blue, lol.

So it was a combination of the cold and the following tale that made me apply for the Instructor in Charge job, where I would be spending more time doing the admin work than in the water.

ARTISTIC INSPIRATIONS

We had a lot of special needs children at the school with various problems and one of them I will call ‘Neville’ who was 16 years old and a big guy with Down’s Syndrome whose party trick was to run out of the changing rooms starkers to the delight and amusement of the other kids who thought it was so funny to see us instructors trying to get him to go back and put his pants on.

Then it was the time when I was in the water and trying to teach him how to swim.  We were playing a shark game – I was chasing him and being the shark, we had lots of fun and were both squealing in delight.  However the tables turned when it was his turn to play shark and he took it absolutely seriously and I nearly drowned in the process.  Lucky for me another instructor noticed the “shark attack” and stopped him.   Lesson learned, Neville just did not realize his own strength, lol.

So here is a thought for all of us from Ramakrishna (mystic) which I like,

“Live like a mud-fish: its skin is bright and shiny even though it lives in the mud.”

Till next time happy painting and sculpting,

Love Marie xxx          (c)

If you would like to see some art blogs about other Public Sculptures here are some links;109 Stories behind the Wall and121 Volunteers our Backbone and  128 Sculpture and Women

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.

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.

Mmmm First Day First Art Blog, where to begin….Perhaps with my Passions and I have lots, lol, but my two first loves are my Family and Art, and another would have to be travelling. That said, here is my painting of the Monkey Forest in Ubud, BALI, painted perhaps 13 ish years ago, when the kids were little.

MONKEY FOREST AN INSPIRATION FOR A PAINTING

Our holidays have always been fantastic and this was no exception.  We decided to have lunch in this pretty little cafe surrounded by the luscious nature and cute little monkeys, and on one side a rice field.  Our waiter gave us our menus and pulled out the chairs for us to sit down.  It was lunch time but we were the only customers there. Mmm maybe that should have been a clue….

We had just motioned for the waiter to take our order, when a very large male monkey with big teeth came slowly walking into the cafe from the rice field and our waiter very quickly, ran and shut the door behind him to the kitchen.  I told the kids under my breath to “SIT VERY STILL, DONT MOVE A MUSCLE AND DON’T MAKE EYE CONTACT”. So there the 4 of us sat like statues, whilst this teeth baring large male monkey walked very slowly around our table looking very intently at us, sniffing the air, stopping every now and then.  After what seemed like the longest time he finally decided that as we did not have any food or anything else he fancied, he walked around the corner.

Not sure of whether he would come back we sat still for a little longer but now at least we were breathing again.  It took a full 2 more minutes before our waiter with a big broom opened the door and peaked out and asked if the monkey had gone yet- so much for customer relation.lol.  Needless to say we had lost our appetite and found another place for lunch later on. Lol.

ARTISTIC LICENCE

Lucky for me that supplied me with a perfect topic for another painting. I must confess to artistic licence though as the other monkeys were not all inside the cafe.  You will find my son Kai, daughter Hillivi and husband Bryan, in a lot of my artwork. Even thought they are now 22 and 18 I often still paint them as little.  They will always be my little “Sweethearts”.

Here is a thought for you from Oscar Wild to contemplate,

‘They afterwards took me to a dancing saloon where I saw the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across.  Over the piano was printed a notice “Please do not shoot the pianist.  He is doing his best.” ‘

Hope you come and visit me again.

Happy painting and sculpting to everyone!

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.