Painting something called Art

Two Vermicelles and a big piece of Apple Strudel were staring at me as I opened the fridge door yesterday on my return from Art Classes.

The house was empty apart from Dominic von Tribo who was miaowing around my feet, and he doesn’t appreciate all the things that I do.

I hadn’t had time for a real lunch not that I was even making that an excuse, I just put the objects of desire on a plate and scoffed the lot.

You don’t have to be very perceptive to realise my painting hadn’t gone well at all.

It might be a sign of improvement because I am actually beginning to blame my teacher. He should have known by now that my great talents couldn’t be guided towards the abstract. Not at this stage anyway. (Am I beginning to sound like an artist?)

I am actually in his watercolour class because I admire the way he paints, wanting to be a sort of Raffaello to his Michaelangelo and what does he dare to do before I am quite that far.He changes his technique.

The Autumn leaves this week are no longer botanically recognisable, form is not important he wanted to see colour.

Cadmium red and yellow ochre, burnt sienna, crimson and sap green all mixed together with a splattering of prussian blue, and called art.
I asked if he found my painting just a tiny bit “restless”

“Not at all ” he said “from a distance.”

Pumpkin on sticks with Apple Chutney.

You might still have lots of apples lying around and after the end of the month there is bound to be pumpkins.

I know you like chutney,and if you are tired of Pumpkin Pie here is something different to use them up.

Pumpkin on sticks served with Apple Chutney

For the

Apple Chutney. you will need
500gr.Cooking Apples, peeled and cut in small pieces

2-3 Dessertspoons of Sultanas

225gr. Sugar

150ml Vinegar,if possible apple

1 Dessertspoons of freshly grated Ginger

1/2 stick of Cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon ground Cloves

1/2 Teaspoon ground Pepper

Cook all ingredients by small to medium heat (circa 25min.) until the consistency of jam is reached. Leave to cool.

It can also be filled in clean warm jars, shut tightly and kept up to six months in cool dark storage space.

Pumpkin on sticks

800gr flesh of a firm Pumpkin cut into 2,5-3cm. squares

Salt and pepper

12 Strips of Bacon circa 3cm. wide

Butter to baste

Thin wooden or metal skewers or sticks

Sprinkle pumpkin pieces with salt and pepper.

Wrap bacon around 1/2 of the given amount of pumpkin.

Stick alternate pumpkin pieces on skewers, one with and one without bacon. Brush with melted butter.

Place on baking paper on a baking tray.

Bake at 220° C in preheated oven for circa 25min. Turn at half time.

Serve immediately with Chutney.

En Guete.

Are the 68ers to Blame for Blochers success.

The question from my non Swiss friends was how could the far right wing SVP (Swiss Peoples Party) with Christoph Blocher holding the Banner, have such success in last weeks Parliamentary Elections, and how could the SP (Socialist Party) loose so miserably?

Felix Müller in the “Neue Zürich Zeitung on Sunday” gave us his opinion and he might quite be right.

The voting results showed us all that the Socialist Party is finished,and who is to blame? The ’68’ers

The popularity of the right wing parties is not just in Switzerland, it is a dangerous trend that is occurring all over Europe for many reasons, but Felix Müllers opinion was particularly applicable here.

For twenty years the generation of socialists have dominated and influenced the situation in our country.

Very quickly, protesting middle and upper middle class sons and daughters arose from the campus after 1968 to take over positions of political influence in our democratic society.

The march was easy for them because they were all intelligent, well educated , aggressive and determined. In a short time they had taken over the power in politics,in the media,and in economics.

The socialist party transformed from the party of the “workers” and “underdogs” to the party with the highest education, highest income average ,highest number of civil servants, and with the highest consummation of expensive foreign red wine. The upper and upper middle class of ’68 hadn’t forgotten their roots.

Having come to power the Hedonistic upbringing of the ’68ers wanted to ensure their select and cultured lifestyle.They lived in areas that a prolatarian could only dream of.

From the heights they looked after the weak, and engaged themselves for social circles of which they personally had often no contact with: The Foreigners ,the Unemployed, and the Reciprients of social security funds. The ’68ers were now only interested in keeping the Status quo.

The negative aspects of their politics- the drug problems, the generous rules of asylum, uncontrolled squandering of social funds, the soaring criminal offences, a huge administrative machine, and neglect of urban areas which brought slums for the first time to Switzerland, had consequences.

With the solving of these problems another party as we all know ran a highly successful election campaign . SP voters flocked to Christoph Blocher and the SVP.

Political logic today should in fact lead us to lean more to the left and to become enviromently fundamental not to the right.
The SP have marched themselves up a dead end street.

Intellectually and for the development of Switzerland it will be interesting to see what course the 68ers will now take.

Bob Dylan the Artist

As regular readers of my blog know I struggle with my watercolour painting. I now have a new inspiration.

My Idol of the sixties. The bad boy, the music maker, the singer, the poet, that particular spirit of those years also paints in watercolour!

The German press agency report that the art collection of the city of Chemnitz, (once DDR) are showing 140 water colour and gouache paintings from the musician in their latest exhibition.

When asked why Bob Dylan chose Chemnitz for his premier,they said, “Nobody had asked him before”

I’m off to get a ticket.

Building a Thai Temple and Buddhist Art

I have seen many beautiful Buddhist Temples in Asia.

It is impossible to travel on that side of our world without being affected by Buddhism, and its’ houses of worship.

The harmony of the spectral colours enriched by the gold in the paintwork and Buddha images transmit a feeling of, well-being, the air rich with the scent of Jasmin brought as gifts enhances it.

No grey stone Churches as cold as death itself for Asia.They have happy ones, ones for children.

It was near Chang Rai in the north east of Thailand where I was invited to visit a very special temple.

For me it is the most beautiful Temple I have ever seen, it is called

Wat Rong Khun

What makes it so special?

I had to blink several times when it first came to view, looking for all like an ice palace after a heavy fall of snow, completely white, glittering against a background of blue sky.

A work of man? Yes the creation of the famous Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. with the aim of bringing a unique piece of contemporary Buddhist Art to the world and to pay his tribute to Lord Buddha.
He wanted the world to look at his offering and look they do.

Chalermchai Kositpipat is famous artist and since 1997 his works have been invaluable and unavailable to buy.

In 1997 he started to build the new Rong Khun Temple in his home town with the money accumulated over 20 years of selling his paintings, on land donated by Wanchai Wichayachakhon the Bangkok philanthropist.

It is a life’s work,consisting of nine buildings- nine for the Ninth Reign, all different in shape and character. The ordination house, the hall containing the Lord Buddhas’ relics, the hall containing Buddha images, the preaching hall, the contemplation hall, the monks’ cells, the door facade of the Buddhavasa, the art gallery, and the toilets.

If it is not all completely finished in his lifetime,his disciples, as he calls all the students, artisans and people involved in the huge contraction and management organisation, will finish it for him. TheBuddhist dharma is behind everything and everyone.

Mr Chalermchai has vowed to dedicate himself to serving the religion by constructing Wat Rong Khun since 1997 when he was 42 to the last day in his life at this temple.He is devoid of all desires for material things but only aims at dedicating himself to his beloved nation, religion, monarch, and mankind with unwavering faith.

Go and look at it. Thankyou for picture Thaiholiday.

The Autumn Leaves

Having struggled through the Summer trying to paint outside. Never quite getting the depth I wanted in the picture, but realising that the wrong nuance of green could ruin it completely, and at last accepting that artists cannot paint what they actually see. It has all to do with the science of colour and optical illusion.

My trees still didn’t look how I wanted them to. My water was improving a little, but the reflections in it still weren’t a lot like reality. In fact as my painting course finished for the holidays I was completely demoralised.

I took off for Thailand late August and carted my Moleskin, water colours, brushes,pencils and even masking fluid around for over a month without doing anything except make a couple of sketches. I really couldn’t, and didn’t want to paint anymore.

Last week I saw that an Artist Blogger Friend had looked into my posts after quite a long time,probably checking out my progress. Somehow it gave me encouragement and I phoned my art teacher to say I would be joining the Autumn Classes after all.

I went for the first time yesterday. We painted Autumn leaves, and I felt I belonged. The painting didn’t look too bad either.

Sex Sells

“Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swill bucket”

George Orwell 1903-50:attributed.

To start with I am neither a feminist nor am I prude, and I don’t live in one of the Bible Belts.

I belong to the generation that changed the attitude of the world especially towards sex and now I’m hopping mad.

When is the advertising world going to stop using sex to sell everything.

Whatever it is from cat food to cars there just has to be an underdressed woman accompanying the picture or film.

Do the Advertising Specialists just have one track minds,or doesn’t witty and clever advertising exist, or sell any more.

In this part of the world we have been living for a while with this, but it seems to me more and more of the advertising films are taking on a pornographic element (and I have seen enough to know what I’m talking about) only to end up with the highlight being some kind of cleaning substance.

When are women going to start objecting to this kind of sexual abuse that makes money for some at our expense ?
Today I saw a picture of the new advertisement that will hail the winter timetable for the once noble Swiss Airlines. It was a well taken photo of last years “Miss Switzerland”, looking almost like Eve, (except she didn’t wear 14cm. Stiletto heels,) and lying in an oversized Champagne glass. “FLY SWISS” the caption.

Wasn’t quite sure what they were promising.

Poetry

I love Poetry,but I can’t write it.

I might possibly be able to turn out some third rate crime or love story but lines like;

“The sedge has withered from the lake,

and no birds sing.”

Impossible.

I ask myself why I find prose so much easier?

The answer is, maybe one has to be a melancholy sort of person to write something moving,and I am not one of these.
It would be an explanation as to why Ireland has brought forth so many great writers.

Or maybe one has to be nursing a broken heart.

My Aunt Madges’ Bobotie Recipe.

Have you ever tried Bobotie ?

Bobotie is a South African dish. To be correct it was a Malayan dish that was introduced to South Africa by the Cape Malay and which became a firm favourite by all.

My Aunt Madge,bless her heart, was born in Durban of good Scottish stock, and once on a visit to the UK invited us for a real South African meal that she would prepare for us.

I suppose the Scots blood made her thrifty,so she chose something called Bobotie,which was a bit like Cottage Pie without potatoes. It tasted pretty good to me so I asked her for the Recipe.

A while later back in Switzerland I asked my South African friend Shirley to dinner with her husband.

Now Shirley was a Domestic Science Teacher, and although she could never catch up with the housework she could sew wonderfully and she certainly could cook. In fact having to invite them for a meal always sent me into a mild state of panic and as you can imagine something that I had prepared many times before never tasted or looked like it should.

This time nothing could go wrong and she would be so surprised with the Bobotie.

It looked alright,and it tasted just like Aunt Madges, only Shirley didn’t seem to be enraptured by my efforst in fact after politely finishing it all she said “Mmm, that was something different, what was it?”

Years later I visited one of Madges’ sons in South Africa and the story came up of how a fellow South African didn’t recognise his mothers Bobotie. “I don’t wonder at it” he said , “my mother never cooked in her life.

So if you would like to try it, this recipe is the one that Shirley gave me. And I can assure you it’s very good.
Cape Malay Bobotie.

1/2 Kilo of minced (ground) meat. Beef or Lamb

1 Thick slice of white bread

500 ml of milk

2 Medium Onions

2 Small Eggs

50 gr.of Butter

1 Tablsp. of Curry Powder

1 level Teasp. of Salt

2 Tablsp. of Vinegar or Lemon Juice

1 Tablsp. of Apricot Jam (Sugar will do to)

1 Teasp. of Turmeric (yellow root) if you have it

2 Bay or Lemon Leaves

1 Tablsp. of Fruit Chutney

75gr. of Seedless Raisins

75gr. of Blanched Almonds

Soak bread in milk.

Fry chopped onions in butter.

Squeeze bread dry but keep milk

Mix bread with meat and fry lightly,add onions. Mix all other ingredients except remaining milk, eggs, and bay leaves, with meat.

Turn into a greased deep pie dish or casserole.

Beat eggs and milk drained from bread, season with a little salt and pepper. Pour over meat in dish Garnish with leaves .

Place dish in another pan containing water and bake at 18o° C or 4 Gas for about 30 minutes or until custard on top is set and lightly browned.

If liked dried peaches or apricots can be added to it,or served with it. Dessicated Coconut is also nice sprinkled over the top.

This Recipe serves 4. It is best eaten with boiled rice.

En guete

The Sarie Marais and Apartheid

My Sarie Marais is so far from my heart, and I’m longing to see her again.
She lived on a farm on Mooi’s River bank, before I left on this campaign

Oh,bring me back to the old Transvaal

That’s where I want to be,

Way yonder ‘mongst the meelies (Corn),by that great thorny tree,

Sarie is waiting for me.

Cricket wasn’t the same without the South Africans, Rugby wasn’t either.

I painted a plate in a competition at school and even won. It showed the Cape Fruit which we couldn’t buy in England any more.

Later in London I often heard homesick South Africans singing the haunting song- Sarie Marais and the seed was planted.

South Africa, one of the most beautiful and richest countries in the world was bleeding.

The Black South Africans suffered terribly under the Apartheid regime, and some white people who had lived there even longer than the blacks were ashamed to tell others abroad where they came from.

There were many whites who without fear fought against it, there were a lot of white people who supported black families.But they didn’t shout loud enough, and we didn’t hear too much about that.

But we heard about Nelson Mandela at last, and the others who didn’t live to see the day.
People who suffered particularly under the regime have been, and will be in the future compensated. (can something like that be compensated?)

People and Firms responsible for upholding the Apartheid in South Africa will be brought to justice, so says the United States Court of Apeal
As I read today they will support this.

Somehow I find the anouncement terribly funny. When will America’s black people be compensated?

As a post script I must say that the words and lyrics of the Sarie Marais were taken from an old US Civil War folk song called Elli Rhee, and the Transvaal was then Tennessee.