I first met Shamus Liptrot when my daughter was in primary school and he was one of those kids who you instantly liked, he had a big cheeky grin, bubbly personality, always really polite and friendly and full of fun, well regarded by teachers, parents and the other children.  In fact I have never heard a bad word said about him, ever.

If there was something going on and some fun to be had Shamus would be there, if a photo was taken he would rush in at the last moment and with a cheeky grin steal the show!

Shamus was an all rounder, great academically, during school games and races, playing basketball – yes good at all sports whether in a team or trying to better his personal best in Little Athletics.

When it came to swimming in primary school Shamus was of course in the top group – deep end, so it was my privilege to have both him and my daughter Hillivi in my group as I taught swimming during the summer months.  Shamus would be first across the pool and looking up at me waiting for the next instruction and goes without saying that he came away with lots of ribbons and medals from his swimming efforts as well.

ART ON A BIKE

It therefore was no surprise to any of us when we started to see Shamus and his dad riding on racing bikes around Balaklava and Halbury and of course he took to that like a duck to water.  It was only a matter of time before he got noticed as a new young talent by the powers that be and was offered a Scholarship by the South Australian Sports Institute, where he rode for Team O’grady.

However it was in December 2007 during the Devonport Carnival in Tasmania when the unthinkable happened and Shamus was catapulted into the air, over a fence and into a light pole.  I think the whole of the Mid North held their breath collectively until we found out that he was off the critical list.

Then came months and months of rehabilitation whereby Shamus’ only form of communication was by blinking then progressing to writing on a board and finally learning to talk and walk and best of all getting back on that bike – as yet only a stationary one.

DETERMINATION AS AN ART

What was so remarkable about Shamus was he never lost that determination, spirit and optimism during this whole ordeal.  Instead he would rise at 5.30 and ride the exercise bike for an hour, followed by exercises on a mat, attend school and do homework and then back on the bike before bed.

It was only in the last 2 months that he was able transfer himself unaided from the walking frame to that bike, a major achievement.  Although as you know by now Shamus was used to achievements and since his accident he not only achieved 2 merit awards in 2 subjects in year 12, but also received the local BAC award for Youth Achievement on Australia day and the Ronald McDonald House Charities awarded him the Charlie Bell Scholarship of $5,000 as well as an all expenses paid trip to New Zealand.

Of course a lot of the credit for raising this incredible human being needs to be directed towards his fabulous parents Patricia and Malcolm Liptrot, for I have never seen two more loving or dedicated parents ever.  Shamus was their only child and they dropped everything in their own lives to spend the last 3 and a half years constantly by his side attending to his every need.  Not that they would agree nor accept this accolade as they are ever so humble and unassuming people.

The frightfully tragic news reached me the day after Mother’s Day 2011 when Hillivi called and it took a couple of minutes before I could understand her distraught message that Shamus had died.  It was the last thing I was expecting to hear especially as he had been making such great progress.  I cannot even begin to imagine how his parents are feeling at this time and my heart hurts for them.

THE ART OF CYCLING

It is comforting to hear Cycling SA executive director Max Stevens suggestion to strike a new medal in honor of Shamus Liptrot, who in his words were inspirational, dedicated and committed.  If the world press is anything to go by, he certainly made his mark across the globe as his tragic death is reported even as far away as Sweden.

I know people mean well when they say that God needed another angel up there in heaven, but I cannot get the words of Nicole Kidman’s character in Rabbit Hole out of my mind, who said;

“If God needed another angel – why didn’t he just make one, he is God after all”

Till next time

Love Marie xxx   (c)

If you would like to read a uplifting art blog about success against all odds with a happy ending here is a link 67. One Amazing Woman & Art

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.

If you have just joined my art blog recently, you may want to check out numbers 6 &7 in the Blog archive for the start of the San Francisco travel tales.

You can’t go past the wit and wisdom of Oscar Wilde who quotes; “It is an odd thing, but everyone who disappears is said to be seen at San Francisco.  It must be a delightful city, and possess all the attractions of the next world.”

ARTISTS INSPIRATION

And yes it is, utterly delightful and full of interesting places and people; you can even surf under the Golden Gate Bridge, but only for the most experienced!  These images are details of my San Fran painting and going here has really inspired me as an artist, the ideas are swirling in my head of future sculptures in mosaic & ceramic and lots of paintings.

A day after we went on our Golden Gate Bridge bike ride, we decided to go down to the bay and catch the boat over to Alcatraz which we were told was like a village where some Prison guards and the Warden and his family lived and the kids went to school there too.

ALCATRAZ THE ART BLOG

What an experience that was, the prisoners long gone but their former home just as eerie as if they were still there. In one way they still were, because as soon as you got up to the main prison building, you went to the place where the prisoners used to exchange their clothes for the snazzy black and white numbers.    We were handed a set of head phones, whereby the former INMATES, PRISON GUARDS and WARDENS started talking to you, about their trials and tribulations.

Now I should tell you that I’m not one for old houses and museums as I’ve said before I’m a party kind of gal with a penchant for dancing, so Bryan did well to talk me into this and besides as I had already painted Alcatraz, I did feel the need to see it in real life and I did not regret that for a second.

They walked you around the whole prison and it was absolutely fascinating. We were perhaps 400 people wandering about totally in silence engrossed in the Alcatraz tales.

Half way through I stopped my recording, took off the headphones and to my amazement,  you could have heard a pin drop.  Never have I ever been with that many people at one time, where not a sound was uttered.

Here is a saying which you can contemplate by Charles Bukowski (writer);

“If you want to know who your friends are, get yourself a jail sentence.”

Till next time, happy painting and sculpting everyone!

Love Marie xxx  (c)

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

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

FOOD IN MY PAINTINGS AND IN MY STOMACH

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

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

THE ART OF THE CON

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

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

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

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

How True!

Till next time, happy painting and sculpting everyone,

Love Marie

(To be continued)                                              (c)

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

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