Eleven years and one day ago...

(16th September, 2008.)

This photo was taken eleven years & one day ago,

on the 16th of September, 2008.*

An auspicious date that I'll always remember.

It was the day I packed two suitcases of my nicest clothes & a large box

(mostly filled with hats, props & my CD collection)...

And I moved from New Zealand to Australia.

For the first three years I was based in Newtown (in Sydney)

and from mid-Winter 2011 (until late 2015) I lived in Melbourne.

I made SO many wonderful friends & clients in the (nearly) eight years I lived in Oz.

And now I am living back in NZ, I miss you all (over there) very, very much!!

At the time I thought that uplifting my roots & moving to a whole new country

was the most challenging & confronting thing that I'd ever done. Now, in hindsight,

I think that returning home to Aotearoa (after nearly ten years away)

has been equally as heartbreaking, hard & challenging.

But here's what I now know: Home, it's not really about geography or a physical place.

It's people. And that is why Sydney & Melbourne are still very much my

two home(s) away from home.
Thanks for ALL the delicious, precious memories, friendships,

relationships, professional gigs & Aroha, Australia! 

“One never reaches home," she said.

"But where paths that have an affinity for each other intersect,

the whole world looks like home, for a time.”
Hermann Hesse

* My Mum looks so heartbroken in this photo. She was losing a second son to Australia.

(This blog entry originally appeared as a Facebook post on 17/9/2019.)

Art imitating life or life imitating art...?

(A scene from television series 'Bosch'. Used without permission. Please don't sue me!)

Have you ever wondered how directly art (in all its wondrous forms) affects & influences us, our daily lives & our tastes?

I've just finished binge-watching four (!!!!) seasons of the American TV show 'Bosch'...

Harry, the main character in it, listens to a lot of jazz. And it is used extensively throughout the show's soundtrack, too.

I listened to a little Miles Davis in my art school years (from the late 80's - early 90's). But it's one style of music that doesn't feature largely in my (very large & eclectic) music collection. I think I have sold most of my Davis CDs over the years.

But now (well), this has happened. In the last week I have found myself listening to more & more jazz. And really, really enjoying it!

So, there you go! An example of art (television, music) influencing my life and my choices...

Thanks Dunedin Library!! And, I guess, Harry Bosch (and your creators) too!!!

“Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television.” (Woody Allen)

(This blog entry originally appeared as a Facebook post on 30/8/2019.)

Remembering Mr. Sacks...

(My social media cartoon tribute to Oliver Sacks, in 2015.)

Oliver Sacks (and his writing) has been a HUGE influence on my life, both as a person and a visual artist, for nearly thirty years. I first discovered him & his unique vision and voice when I was at art school in the late 80s/early 90s. "How could a man mistake his wife for a hat?" I thought. I was immediately, completely intrigued (and hooked), right from the first paragraph!

In January 2008, I saw on Oliver's website that he had gone blind in one eye. Being a huge fan of his published works, I sat in an internet cafe & wrote him a quick, short email (through his website). In it, I told him of my very own experiences with 'mono-vision' and how it affected my life & art career. But I never expected or imagined any more would come of my action.

So, try to imagine my delight, joy and complete surprise, when three months later I was sifting through bills from my letterbox... And I found this:

A hand-typed (!!) letter (complete with hand-scribbled notes throughout) from the man himself!!! To this day, I am still incredibly blown-away that Oliver took the time to write. TO ME!! And a real letter, sent in the mail, no less!!!

Mr Sacks sadly left this earth four years ago this week. But I'd like to have a chance (albeit, a little late) to say: "Thank you, so, so much, Oliver!!" For the ongoing inspiration... And your wonderful, rare intelligence, humility, compassion, intuition & generosity that you showed (and shared), in both your spirit & creativity. There are so, so many millions of people that you've touched & affected through your life's work (all over the globe)... In your lifetime, and beyond!! Thank you, for taking the time to write to me. And together, for us to briefly connect over our shared experience of sight-loss & its consequence.

"Language, that most human invention,

can enable what, in principle, should not be possible.

It can allow all of us, even the congenitally blind,

to see with another person’s eyes."

(Oliver Sacks)

(This blog entry originally appeared as a Facebook post on 31/8/2019.)

the joys of discovering op-shop treasures...

YAY! I just discovered this little treasure in the (Dunedin, New Zealand) Hospice Op shop...

In the 90s/early 2000s Rixon Groove was a tiny menswear label/shop (stocking one-off, innovative and independent, lovingly hand-made works of wearable art), hidden away in Willis St, Wellington (New Zealand).

I still vividly remember buying a wonderful purple suit from Rixon (it had gorgeous green-gold lining) - and I ended up wearing it out, I wore it so much!! *

RG made unique, incredibly colourful fashion statements, boasting the finest fabrics & buttons ever! I spent hours & hours in his shop (boutique?), in complete awe... Wishing I could buy half the stock on his hangers! The waistcoats were amazing!! I still have one (that I purchased for my first big solo art show (opening), way back in 1992.

Opening of "Wear My Inside Out" solo art exhibition,
Mt. Victoria Cafe, Wellington (July-Aug 1992).

And now (twenty-five to thirty years later) I'm finally the proud owner of a Rixon Groove tie!! Undoubtedly the BEST $3 I've spent in an op shop... EVER!!!

*Friends and whanau of much-loved Wellington-based (Nelson-born) muralist/artist Maru 'Marz' Cummings will remember I wore this purple suit (proudly) at his memorial service / farewell, in October 1999. It was his favourite colour.

Maru 'Marz' Cummings, Muralist/Artist (1966-1999).

https://inthishurricaneseye.blogspot.com/2011/01/for-marz-cummings-1966-1999.html

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.
Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas,
the way we live, what is happening."
Coco Chanel

(This blog entry was originally posted on Facebook on 3/9/2019.)

Soundtracks to films that were never made...

Career & Creative Influences, Part One.

 Vale, Mark Hollis.

Your incredible voice & musical legacy have kept me

company over so, so many years..

.

I first discovered you as a young art student,

in the late 80s/early 90s.

Your music was perfect to paint and create to

(influencing but not distracting);

your ethereal singing & lyrics becoming

yet another instrument in the mix.

And there were many.

But your production skills were out of this world.

Those of us that discovered, loved and treasured your (truly) original,

haunting, fragile (and at times, dear I say it, violent?) aural "masterpieces":

(I don't use that word lightly)

We saw beyond that 'big single'.

And our lives were transformed from the encounter.

This was not merely music to listen to,
but to transcend to...

And an experience to completely soak and immerse the senses in

.

Who needed drugs, when there was music like this being created.

I always described his latter releases as
(to my more commercial-loving friends,
who stopped listening after 'Life's What You Make It):

"soundtracks to films that were never made".

If you have never heard Mark / Talk Talk's music before,

this is where the magic really began...

'Spirit of Eden' (1988)

  'Laughing Stock' (1991)

  'Watershed AKA Mark Hollis' (1998)

These are the three essentials 
for late-at-night headphone listening.

Music that completely defies
labels, genre, expectation or description. 
 
The world has lost a rare, unique & uncompromising
voice, musician and producer.

Do yourself a huge favor tonight
& dust off those headphones.

Discover Mr. Hollis & Talk Talk
(perhaps for the second time?). 

And be prepared.
To be transported.
Somewhere else entirely.



(26 February, 2019.)

a (true) labour of love...

What is

'A Labour of Love' ??

A couple of weeks back, I was contacted

(by a local woman, via my FB page)

to work on a very special & top secret illustration job...

A series of water-colour cartoons

(a life in pictures) to accompany a Mother's loving speech to her son at his Wedding.

This project was very timely, as I am still recovering from recent hernia surgery,

and have been unable to get out and draw/busk in the street.

So, it meant I could work from the comfort of my purple couch, at home.

This little project became a "real labour of love" for me, seeing how much love

my client had for her son, and wanting to do something *very* special & unique for him.

If you look close enough at the cartoons, you'll see the blood, sweat & tears!!

I don't usually do watercolour in my cartoons... But, realising (very early on) the scope

and life of this project (and how much aroha was needed/expected),

I invested in a nice pad of watercolour paper, and worked my little heart out!

There were a few sleepless nights, and LOTS of coffee consumed...

The deadline was tight! But these pictures were a real joy to create!

And (perhaps?) some of the best work I have ever created

(in a career spanning nearly thirty years!!).

I hope my client doesn't mind me sharing them so publicly, now that the wedding is over.

I am very happy to report that she was SO happy with my work that she even paid

me a (much-appreciated!) bonus!! And she gave me a huge hug as I left, too.

I wish I could have been there, at the family wedding, seeing her proudly

tell her son's life-story, and holding up each of these cartoons as she did so. 

I am very grateful for some of the smaller

(but much bigger, if you know what I mean)

contracts and people that come to me through my work.

"Do what you love - Love what you do."

PS I am very happy to live in a country
where we leave the u in labour, making it "our".
The same with the word humour.

❤️

...Such is the duty of the artist.

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts...
...Such is the duty of the artist!"
Robert Schumann

As most of you know by now, I do a LOT of random 'joy scattering'.

It even resulted in a doco being made about me ("Scatter Joy") 

- thanks, Amy Hoogenboom!!

https://vimeo.com/114459898

So, even on a quiet day, I might give away 2-3 cartoons or caricatures!!

Usually to completely random people, and I don't usually hang around

to see people's reactions. I just do it to make a stranger's day or to 

(hopefully) make them smile...

I like doing it for people that work very hard,

and sometimes (in their jobs) don't always get thanked for it.

I have drawn a lot of cartoons for waitresses. And flight crews

(when I'm lucky enough to be flying somewhere)...

Sometimes, I'm rewarded for these random acts of cartooning kindness, too.

The crew sometimes gives me gifts of First Class chocolates & wine.

But most of the time, I do it and never really hang around to witness the 
magic or reaction or what may happen next.

I do this a lot. I enjoy doing it. If i am having a tough day for some reason, I go out and 

make someone elses day. My Mum taught me that lesson when I was very young.

And sometimes, I admit it freely here. I might take for granted

how this affects other people.

That kind of happens when you do something all the time, I guess...?

Anyway.

A month or two back, I was out busking in one of the streets

in my new hometown in Dunedin (NZ)...

A young person walked past,

made a comment about how cool it was to see me drawing.

As they walked away, I randomly handed them a (pre-drawn) cartoon.

And just as quickly, they were gone.

However.

A few minutes later they came back.

And handed me this...

I was suddenly very touched!
And reminded (from the generosity of a complete stranger)

what it must feel like to receive

a random cartoon drawing from me!!

It was timely.

And it has (since) gone on to become one of my fave possessions.

I even found a little frame for it:

(c) Whina Pomana, 2017.

Thank you, Whina!!

For reminding me why I do what I do.

You're awesome!!!

PS.

(Footnote, of sorts...)

Whina has gone on to become my new designer.

They has just finished designing my brand NEW business card...

I have decided that
 Blue is the New Black!!

Whina has done a superb job! 

Here's what it looks like...

 

 

You can see more of Whina's wonderful work here:

 https://www.facebook.com/deathhairball

Kia ora!

Thanks for reading...

PPS

"The Paradoxical Commandments."

 (c) Kent M. Keith.

 
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be

shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have

and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.