Monday, March 29, 2010

The Glamourous Life - Jarrah & the words that go with the pictures


World travels ....flying by the seat of my pants, which is situated on an seat in an airplane... there is, for me, nothing more alivening than just ...letting it happen.

It is such a practice to stay awake in familiar surroundings to see that amazing

things are happening.. we are just too... actually I don't know about you.. it may be this is my issue. I get on bikes, into cars, onto planes and stop some place and let it come to me. Alcohol may be a cheaper trip but I just don't have the constitution for it.

Through the conflagration of events that can only happen when one is wiiiidddde open I was getting off a bus in the pitch of pitch darkness dark side streets ... in the little town of Margaret River,Western Australia. You may have heard of it, previous to this. Wine Country. I was to call a number that I had copied onto paper from the last of a total of three emails I had received concerning a house sitting position. Up to this point... flying from Kuala Lampur to Perth, taking the 'milk run' bus to the town through the astounding Australian landscape....

There were all these little stories the bus driver had going with the people traveling.. Ok.Just
one really good one..He had the people on the bus cheer hip hip hooray for a little guy taking the bus from his grandma's house to his parent's on his own. Everyone joined in, even the Gothed out teenagers.Even the Canadian that had a babble fish time delay for understanding anything being said!)

..it seemed
pretty feasible. But standing on the unlit street with no idea where what who when or why.. These are fleeting thoughts. I started off toward the street with lighting. A Gas Station. I went in and asked if I could use the phone. He pointed to across the street... where, once one know what one is looking at, a couple of pay phone appeared!

I called the number on the crumpled piece of paper.
A Cheery Voice answered.

Ute! This is Elaine! I said

Oh great! she said. Where are
you?

By the BP gas station.

Ok.. I'll call Stephan and he'll pick you up.. Your timing is perfect..he is
just on his way home.

After a few moments, an energetic cheerful guy leaned out from the passenger side(in Canada/ US/Europe..) of the vehicle asking if I was me. I seemed to be. He leaped out, tossed my luggage into the back of the truck telling me to get
in, and, as I opened the door, said amusedly...I'll drive.
Right. Left. It takes some time to get used to. I have some very,very funny stories about driving in Australia.

And the meeting was perfect. They lived (still do) on an acreage that you can look out the living room window and watch the sun set on the sea. Stephan is a vet. Ute is an artist.

I was to stay for six
weeks which became eight, in beautiful, luxurious conditions in return for feeding the pets. Turning the power back on after a storm... you know..

Two dogs, a cat, and... I am not kidding... two kangaroos!


In that time I met the drawing ladies, applied and got the artist in residence position which was in the
Town of Margaret River so I stayed for another couple of months, toured Western Australia, the wine houses, vineyards, taught art classes...

Amazing things happen!

The rest of the words are with the pictures of the previous post... see you there!

5 comments:

  1. What an amazing life you lead, Elaine. The stories are magnificent. And that painting? Fabulous and full of interest for my starving eyes.

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  2. Sherry! I think you must have a collection of amazing stories of the life you lead! Your daughter born in Turkey? I am keen to know about that!

    The paintings in this post are the same model and about the same tree... Jarrah.
    This is in the full of light studio in the residence for the Artist in Residence in Margaret River, WA Australia.

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  3. Awesome story to go with your visionary painting style. I've been to a few ports in Australia courtesy of the US Navy and remember Perth as a great city. I visited the Art Museum while there and was mesmerized by paintings from J.W. Waterhouse. I enjoyed learning more about the painting and your adventures. Did the kangaroos live outdoors?

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  4. Thank you Alice!... the kangaroos lived outside but knocked on the door every morning for their almonds and peanuts, which they would only eat after cuddles and hugs! Zoe and KoKo

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  5. Amazing piece. All of you're works are so energetic and lyrical. I love your awesome adventure, too. I was in Australia last year and we went looking for the kangaroos! we saw kangaroo crossing signs and kangaroo poo, even went out early in the morning to try and catch site of some...and just as we were returning to the hotel....KANGAROOs crossed the road in front of us. That was in Barossa, loved Austraila. But that pales by comparison to your Kangaroo-sitting story!

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