The rain in Spain - and the rest!!

SPECTACULAR!

The thunderstorm had been building all day and the broody skies were threatening as darkness fell over the city.

The yellow streetlight glow was punctuated by super-bright forks and flashes for at least an hour. The roar of the thunder was all-surrounding and ultimately awful.

I stood outside in the warm rain and clicked, clicked, clicked away with the camera until I finally captured the images you see here.

The power of nature at full force.

Well worth the effort!

'THE SUN SETS IN THE EAST'

It was such a lovely evening yesterday that I decided to take a trip on my trusty rusty bicycle down onto Torrevieja seafront. The sun was about to say it's daily farewells, taking with it the worst of the summer heat.

I had heard that the new marina had a couple of newly opened bars and decided to give them the benefit of my experience. From the waterside they all looked pretty much the same, so I went for the one that had the most comfy seats, tied up my steed, and relaxed in a pool of sweat until the bartender passed me the much needed artificial relaxant.

It struck me that something we don't have as a rule here on the Costa Blanca is a sunset over the sea, since we more or less face eastwards. So it was a pleasant surprise to see that, as we were on the outer arm of the breakwater we could look back over the town and watch the sun go down, while it's reflections were shimmering over the Mediterranean sea - albeit in the harbour. It was stunning. I remarked that it felt as good as being on the Côte d’Azur, only better, because I actually lived here! I watched it until my corneas were irreparably damaged.

The sun was almost gone when I realised that I had forgotten my lights to wend my way safely home again afterwards. So I came up with a surreal idea to wait until the sun was just about to dip over the horizon, therefore at it's weakest and unable to fight back, and capture it in my bicycle basket to help me see in the dark on the way home. It worked! After a few more drinks and tall tales I slowly headed for home in a snake-like fashion. With my way so well illuminated I made it back in one piece, and released the sun back into the wild as soon as I got home.

I would like to point out that no constellations were put unduly at risk in the telling of this story.

Featured Artist of the Month - TJ Miles

This week saw the launch of the March 2008 edition of Irelands leading homes and lifestyle magazine - 'Irelands Homes, Interiors and Living'.

I am featured 'Artist of the Month' with a four page spread on me and my work. In all good bookshops now. There is also a competition to win one of my original paintings worth 2000 euros, being held in conjunction with the magazine, if anyone is interested in entering.

Hello Danny

The night of the Danny La Rue show has come and gone and the Benidorm Palace was filled to capacity for this one-off event. I was very proud to be one of the guests of honour at the event and thoroughly enjoyed the whole proceedings. Whilst waiting to present my limited edition print as the first prize in the fundraising raffle, it was amazing to see behind the scenes and meet the other stars of the show during the interval.

My thanks go to all the organisers, but especially to Steve Ashley who was instrumental in bringing the whole thing together for the benefit of the Costa Blanca Samaritans. I hope a large amount of money was raised to help keep the phone lines open for a long time to come.

The younger Danny was played by Jerry Lane who wowed the audience with his singing, dancing and costumes, and was accompanied by a plethora of other great talented singers and dancers, too numerous to mention, on this special night. Then Danny came on to much applause. He sang a fantastic range of his own well known songs as well as songs made famous by friends from glamorous era’s long since gone. An interview session followed with radio presenter Beverly Stewart during which Danny regaled us with stories of his younger days. A night of nostalgia and celebration of a life steeped in show business. The show finished with a bang as all the singers and dancers joined together for the grand finale, making this into what must have been the event of the year in the Benidorm Palace’s 2007 diary.

It was a pleasure to chat to everyone concerned and also to catch up with Danny La Rue when he arrived at the after show party. I am amazed at the amount of British (and Irish) talent now living full time on the Costa Blanca.

An experience to remember for a long time to come.

Danny La Rue

'Significant Changes Within' 18"x24" Ltd. Edtn. Print
Raffle prize for the Costa Blanca Samaritans fundraiser event

TJ, Danny and Judy

What a wonderful day I had yesterday!

I had been asked to donate something as part of a fund raising evening taking place in the Benidorm Palace in aid of the Costa Blanca Samaritans on Remembrance Sunday (11th November, for those of you who don't know).

The production arranged for the night is the life story of none other than the great Danny La Rue. Danny has flown in especially to host the night in his own inimitable fashion and it promises to be a fantastic evening.

I was asked to attend by my sole representing gallery here in the Costa Blanca - The Fusion Gallery in Altea, by owner and director Judy Webber to hand over the limited edition print to a 'very special guest'. The coastal drive from Alicante to Altea is spectacular. It was a beautiful day, 2o degrees or so, car windows down enjoying the sunshine, with Michael Buble singing in the background. After a delicious lunch with Judy and Jenny in the old square of Altea I thought, this is one of those perfect days. How can it get any better? Who turned up shortly afterwards as the special guest?

It was Danny La Rue himself!

Danny signing the visitor book

What a character he was! He entertained us for ages with stories of his experiences both on and off the stage, but the time flew and the next thing we knew it was dark. With the business of the day, the handover, completed satisfactorily for the television company, Danny showed a great interest in a number of my original paintings hanging in the gallery.

Before he left he insisted in taking a TJ original home with him to remind him of our time together. Two Irish lads from the opposite ends of the island, meeting up in a foreign land to reminisce about the old country. It's called 'A Gathering Sky' 4"x16"(10cm x40cm)

TJ and Danny with Danny's very own TJ original painting

I will be attending the show in person to hand over the print to the winner on the night. I can't wait to see the show, if yesterdays fun and games were anything to go by. I believe there are a number of limited tickets still available, so phone and book them while you still have the chance!

Link to the Fusion Gallery

Link to Danny La Rue Website

Link to the Benidorm Palace

A present for Santa Claus

A funny little story that I meant to publish last week.

I was at the exhibition of a Norwegian artist Tor-Gunnar Riise who lives within the Norwegian Arctic Circle and was amazed when Tor had a surprise guest with him...

None other than Santa Claus himself!!

It turns out Santa has a holiday home here on the Costa Blanca. After we had chatted for a while I told Santa that I wanted to give him a present to say thank you for all the presents he had given me over the years. I gave him one of my limited edition prints and he was really touched by the gesture. He told me he would hang it in his workshop to remember me by. Although the photograph attached isn't the 'actual' Santa Claus, I thought it would represent his joy at receiving my gift!

Tor's exhibition was of subtle colourful scenes from the Arctic Circle including paintings of the Northern Lights over mountain tops. Beautiful work. You could feel the shivers running up your spine in his representations even though it was twenty degrees outside. Apparently spring, when it eventually comes, only lasts a week before their short summer takes over. Tor's other paintings described the dramatic changes between the seasons in what must be a barren landscape for much of the year. I wouldn't mind seeing that sometime. I'm not sure I could handle the six months of complete darkness though.

Link to Tor-Gunnar Riise's website

Link to Santa's website

The Day Of The Dead

All Hallows Eve has, of course, always been known as the night when the witches and hobgoblins come out to have some fun. This is because it was widely believed that the 31st of October was the night when the worlds of the dead and the living were at their closest point of the year. Whilst we in the north of Europe tend to use it as an excuse to dress up and party, the inhabitants of Spain use their time for fiesta's to welcome the dead into the family again, just for one night.

On November 1st we decided to visit the local cemetery to see the outdoor Mass and spend our time thinking about our own lost family members from years gone by. During my travels in various parts of Europe I have seen some strange cemeteries. So different from what we are used to in Ireland. I thought I would include a couple of photographs of our local cemetery here to let you see how it's 'done' in Spain.

Instead of being put into the ground, the bodies are incarcerated into sections of a wall - each one just wide enough to slide the coffin into - and then sealed up. Visiting family members may have to climb up the ladders provided to replace dead flowers or clean the plaque, depending on where their loved ones are positioned in the wall.

Isn't it strange how we struggle through life, measuring our successes by moving to bigger and bigger houses, only to 'downsize' over and over again as we get older and realize that we don't actually need all that space after all. When we head for the final downsize in life we don't actually need a lot of room at all, just a two-by-two-by-six foot square hole in a wall. It's strange how many 'foreigners' are now buried in our local cemetery.

English, Irish, German, Russian, Dutch, French and Scandinavian to name but a few.

It comes to us all eventually.

Pacific Yachting Magazine

Yesterday I received a copy of 'Pacific Yachting' magazine from editor Jeffrey Briggs. If you remember, Jeffrey asked for permission to use my words and images as part of an article for his magazine tying in boats and art. Along with Robert Genn and another 13 or so artists he has created a nice feature based around the subject and I thank him for the opportunity to participate.

I'm not sure what range of countries, or areas of the world the magazine is available in apart from the USA, but if any reader of this blog can get hold of a copy, by all means do so.

Many thanks to Jeffrey and Robert for your input and support. It's much appreciated.

Return to Paris

It’s been approximately seven years since I was in Paris. When here before I visited my art heroes in the Musee D’Orsay and looked up at them in awe and longing. I was still a struggling artist at that time and felt that I could never attain the intensity of colour and form shown in the museum.

Another age of this man is gone, and maybe I can now say that at least I am on the first rung of the ladder - still looking up, but at least now perhaps I can observe the paintings with constructive envy and no longer idolatry.

It was wonderful to visit again with such artists as Van Gogh, Monet, Pisarro, Bonnard, Millet et al, as I much prefer the ‘train station’ to the Louvre in content. The building itself is an inspiration for me and for over four hours I wandered between the decades, countries, movements and psyches of my antecedents.

I cannot wait to get back to Spain to work now I am fired up again with enthusiasm. I think it is important to ‘plug in’ to the art charger every so often to reinvigorate oneself, but also to revaluate the direction you feel you are heading in. I often say there are no wrongs in art, just different points of view. If you are passionate enough, and determined enough to push through the hesitancy sometimes felt, then your efforts must be justified in the long run.

The adventure was continued with a visit to Shakespeare and Co. by the Seine to purchase some reading material for the onward journey. The beds between the books were littered with tomes of modern classics and the tap-tap-tap of an old typewriter helped set the scene for perusal of Hemingway and Joyce. Ironically Jack Kerouac’s On The Road came to hand. I wonder what the relevance is there?

Finally the day was finished off with a beverage consumed in the Hotel Meurice frequented of course by Salvador Dali and Gala for many years. As I sat in the salon area I’m convinced that I saw his spirit slip silently past with an entourage of surrealistic elephants.

They seem to follow me everywhere!

Boat Stories and Art

A few weeks ago I sent an email to Robert Genn of ‘The Painter’s Keys’ website responding to an article he had written about boats and art. In response to that story I received the following email.

Dear TJ:

Jeffrey Briggs here. I'm the editor of a boating magazine called Pacific Yachting PNW, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. I've recently been in touch with Robert Genn, of "The Painter's Keys" website, about adapting one of his bi-weekly serials, "Boat Stories," for a feature article in the magazine. Robert has given his permission to my project.

The feature story would combine the thoughtful responses of the artists who wrote in on the subject with illustrative samples of their marine and boat-related art. The short essays - some funny, some meditative, some straight forward - would become a montage of the nature of art and the enduring quality of boats that make them a natural subject for so many artists. The words would be illustrated by the artist' work.

You were one of the artists who responded to Robert. I seek permission to use your words (and others if you would like to elaborate on the subject) and to get a high resolution digital image of one of your marine paintings to illustrate them. Each artists' entry would include name and contact information.

I also run a Contributors column each issue. I would plan on dedicating it to the "Boat Stories" artists. My present plan is to run "Boat Stories" as a feature in the September/October issue of Pacific Yachting PNW.

Best Regards,
Jeffrey D. Briggs, Editor
Pacific Yachting PNW

Note from TJ: I await the September/October publication of Pacific Yachting PNW with interest.

Voices Of The Old Sea

I have been a fan of travel writing for some time, in particular Paul Theroux (I think it is where I got the travel bug from), and have just finished a second reading of 'Voices Of The Old Sea' by Norman Lewis.

It was about a time in Spain after the war when life was simpler, although not necessarily easier. The residents of the remote villages of Farol and Sort, in what is now the Costa Brava (apparently - although I can‘t find them on any map.), struggling to survive with a way of life that hadn't really changed for decades, perhaps hundreds of years.

We tend to reflect that every era was golden. The golden years of the twenties, thirties, forties etc. but it's all too easy to forget the not-so-good times. The daily struggles and trials that people suffered.

Lewis captured a time of hardship and grudging change, as the first tourists began to descend on this area, losing it's supposed innocence to a wider world. Over the period of three summers Lewis visited these villages and documented with loving care the lives of the local fishermen and their families.

While reading, I visualised the locale as it changed before my eyes, and wished that somehow it had stayed cut off from the world.

I wish I could have been there to see it with him.

Sadly, Norman Lewis died a few years ago, but I look forward to reliving some adventures with him again in the future.

It reminds me of Cadaques somewhat, an area I will hopefully be visiting in June on my way up to Hamburg for my next exhibition. I always get inspiration from seeing Dali’s spiritual home place. The Emporda Triangle is calling…..