Happy

Last November, I blogged a bit about my childhood and mentioned a bloke called Donall Murray.

Just to remind you (!), in 1970, I was in a play in the Eblana Theatre, under Busaras in Dublin, called ‘It’s a Two Foot Six Inch Above the Ground World’, a comedy piece notable for being the first play in Ireland in which the word ‘fuck’ was used.

Click to enlarge

The play ran for the whole summer and my brother in the play was performed by Donall. It so happened that, in 1970, my parents and his parents were both going through significant marital difficulties. This, and the fact that we were both around the same age (I was 10, Donall 11), and we lived not too far from each other, brought us quite close together.

We used to get the train in to the Eblana from Glenageary station each evening, get off at Tara Street, walk across Butt Bridge and into the theatre. Because we got the train at the same time each evening, the train driver began to recognise us and invited us to travel in the cab. This was a bit of a thrill to be honest, topped only by him letting us once or twice take the controls of the train on the long stretch at Booterstown.

When we weren’t acting in the play, we knocked around together, used our pay to buy Chopper bikes …

… and generally did the stuff that friends do. Before the end of the run, at the start of September, my dad pulled me out of the play as the school term was about to start. My final performance was a deeply emotional one, I remember. The cast members and backstage staff were really friendly and kind to us all the way through the run and it was a big wrench to leave.

My family circumstances had changed by then and I had moved with my dad to my grandparents’ house near Killiney so it wasn’t long before Donall and I lost touch.

Fast forward to 1972 and I was cast in a film called ‘A War of Children’, a made for US TV film about the deepening conflict in Northern Ireland. While the film lacked authenticity and was a bit superficial in its portrayal of the troubles, it played well in the US, winning an Emmy and being nominated for another. I had quite a major role in the film and it so happened that Donall was cast in it too. He had been working in the intervening period and was a bit of a star, generally. We didn’t really get to spend much time with each other during the shoot however. In any case, in the film, he killed my pigeon.

About five or six years ago, I received a speculative message through Facebook from Donall wondering was I the David Meredith that he had acted with all those years ago. We re-established contact and messaged each other quite frequently over the last few years, sharing each others’ stories and generally being warm towards each other.

Donall is now Pastor Happy Murray and has had an interesting life. I’m not going to summarise or comment on it. You’ll find it here.

About a year ago, Happy told me that he was working with Colin McKeown, a BAFTA award-winning documentary maker, to give his story a wider audience. This story was to include a segment on his childhood, specifically his work as a child actor, and he wanted me to be a part of this. In fact, he wanted our reunion, so to speak, to take place on camera.

Happy and me with Colin’s BAFTA

That happened today. Quite an event. We met on Thomas Street, close the the NCAD, and embraced warmly. Meeting somebody you haven’t seen in almost fifty years can be awkward but this wasn’t. We’ve led very different lives and our beliefs are very different, but we met each other with respect, openness and trust.

The bulk of the day comprised Happy and me in conversation about the past, present and future, in front of Colin McKeown and a very warm, unobtrusive and efficient film crew. It was hot (the lights!), tiring and sometimes emotional but also interesting, engaging and, I think, worthwhile. I do like an audience and, when I’m comfortable, I do like to talk. And Colin, Happy and the crew made me comfortable.

I’m constantly conscious that I have lived an unusual life in many respects. My early childhood was spent in an intensely creative household, I was acting professionally at 7 years of age, I was in an award winning film at 12. I have had a range of extraordinary life experiences and have been fortunate to have met many people with different viewpoints and beliefs. Through my various jobs and voluntary activities I have been influenced by many people, and I have influenced others and, in some cases, I know that have made a difference to peoples’ lives. In our final exchange this afternoon, both Happy and I expressed ourselves to be excited by what lies ahead for each of us, in terms of curiosity, discovery and opportunities for adventure.

I’m Learnding

Busy enough day but I found time to watch a few YouTube videos on gouache.

I use gouache in tubes and i’ve been in the habit of washing away the excess paint after each painting session. Gouache is quite expensive and this is a bit of a waste. One of the things I learned today was that one can leave the paint on the palette and simply reactivate it with water later. The handy thing about this fact is that it makes gouache a lot more portable than I thought it was. I bought this palette a while ago and haven’t used it much. It folds over though, so it’s something that I might consider bringing away with me when I travel.

I think I improved my blackcurrants (I added some more) except they look a little pale. That’s more to do with the photo. They are darker in real life …

Not so sure about this rose. It started off very pale but it looked dreadful. The right hand side is OK. I had trouble with the left side however. Trying to make things lighter is harder than making things darker. I really should have started again instead of trying to make it better. Anyway, no worries. The next one will be better.

I mentioned the Rathgar Horticultural Show a few posts back. I decided not to enter the herbs competition. Christine, however, continued to dominate the baking competitions, coming first in four out of the five competitions, and second in the fifth. She also won the major baking prize with her magnificent lemon, bay leaf and olive oil cake.


I’m Learnding …

Restored

I suffered a significant loss of creative confidence over the last few weeks. This time of the year can be challenging. May and June are quite stressful work-wise and then the speech and drama year stops quite suddenly. The switch from crisis mode to ‘what just happened’ can deliver quite a shock to the system and often puts me off-balance. Anyway, some positive interventions have helped to restore my equilibrium and the ideas have started to flow again.

This, which was a good idea, I think, didn’t quite work out. It’s worth coming back to and executing better in the future though …

I enjoyed thinking about this, planning it, and painting it. I’m pleased with the result …

Its translation to a teabag didn’t quite work out as well. I know what went wrong. I rushed it too. I’ll try it again …

Frustrated

I’ve written before about my inability to make watercolours work for me. I won’t give up on them because I love some of the effects you can produce with them, especially at the delicate end of the spectrum. I tried a thing this evening and I thought it was going to be OK but it turned out looking so crap that I won’t even put it up here.

I ended up just doodling and playing with water and pigment.

A friend sent me a YouTube link on acoustic guitar playing and it’s made me more determined than ever to learn to finger pick. I’m just going to choose a style and go for it. I reckon 10-15 minutes a day over the summer should give me a good start.

Speaking of acoustic guitars, the same friend brought me to a gig in Whelans on Tuesday. A band called Tir na nOg. Pioneers of a kind of progressive folk with an Irish flavour in the 1970s, out of the same sort of stable as Scullion. I can just about remember them. Two members, Sonny Condell and Leo O’Kelly, both in their late 60s. They played some beautifully mellow melodic music – very calming. Nice guys and lovely musicians too with amplified acoustics, using alternative tuning.

I need to go here …

Dump

Here’s some of the things I did this week.

I blogged …

Click on the pic to get to thebreakfastblog.ie

I bought some spray satin varnish in a sale in Evans. I was a little concerned that the gouache that I had used to paint on pebbles might fade over time or get damaged if something got spilled on it. So, I dealt with that this morning.

I did this this evening. I had previously used acrylic for something similar some months ago. I used gouache for this one. I wouldn’t be framing this, with its wonky moon and the harsh track of the light on the water, but I think that with another few goes I might have something quite pleasing.

This was just playing with new brushes and new paints this evening …

To be candid: it was a mixed week. Interesting in both good and not so good ways. Let’s just say I’m glad it’s over, and leave it at that.

Onwards

There are a few more poppy-related things in progress but there are a few other ideas around.

The Rathgar horticultural show is coming up. It’s Christine’s gig really. She enters and wins baking competitions each year. One of the competitions, however, is for a bunch of garden grown herbs. I’ve seen the entries before and they are superb. But I thought that, if I had the time and could do it, I might try to display a few of our herbs in a creative way. I thought of plaiting a few sprigs of lavender and then inserting other herbs into the plaits. I don’t know whether it will work or not but it might be worth a try. Here’s a rough go at a lavender plait. Maybe I could do three of these and plait them together.

Ages ago, I was having a go at painting moonlight on the sea and I promised my step-sister that I’d do one for her. I’ve prepared these cards, two with black gouache (the two at the bottom) and two with Chinese ink )top left and right).

I also painted a piece of cardboard with Chinese ink (top centre). It looks quite promising because it dried with some interesting patterns on it. Anyway, that should keep me occupied for a few days.

… and Candles

I enjoy the process of making candles. It’s a bit like cooking with a bit of chemistry thrown in. I think that this is the first time I’ve made scented candles in painted tuna cans so … yay!

I may have explained before, there are various formulas used to calculate the amount of wax and the amount of fragrance to be used and then there are temperatures to be observed. Put the fragrance into wax that’s too hot and the fragrance will burn off. Pour the candles into the containers too hot or too cold and you run the risk of bubbles or shrinkage.

And there is a calculation to be made about the thickness of the wick. Too thin and the flame will be overwhelmed by the wax. Too thick and it’ll smoke.

Here they are, poured …

And, because I’m quite pleased with how I decorated the cans, here are some gratuitous pics …

Poppies and Bees

I’ve spent a lot of time on this idea.

I made a few poppies yesterday out of rice paper but they looked like poppy day poppies and that’s not really what I wanted. I’ve painted poppies in watercolour. Some weren’t bad but not really good enough.

Anyway, to cut a shortish story shorter, I went back to my tuna cans and trusty gouache.

Here’s my first go …

And here’s my second …

I feel a candle making session coming on.

Accidental Inspiration

Poppies and bees are in my head. I have a real need to represent them in some way. I’m working towards something but I’m not quite sure what or how. You’ll see me trying to work this out below.

This is hard. I have a real lack of skill in some areas. I’m not quite sure how to do some of the things I want to do. I’m experimenting. I’m off balance at the moment and a little too anxious also about being able to produce something that I’m going to be happy with.

This thing below is an envelope.

An albino bee, made from toilet paper and PVA glue in my office.

Miraculously coloured now, you’ll see my ex-albino bee half hiding under the poppy below. He’s hiding because his head is too big. I’m not sure which of us is more embarrassed by that fact. This is an experiment on a tuna can. I accidentally varnished my face when trying to stiffen the rice paper poppy petals.

This is a messy watercolour experiment. It’s messy on purpose, though.

Bees awaiting wings and colour … (These ones more accurately represent actual bee anatomy, and are made from that air dough stuff that I used before to make sea creatures. The toilet paper one above was more a loose interpretation of a bee.)

Ouch.

Sweat the Small Stuff

Sometimes it just grabs you. Inspiration or an urge. Happened this morning. Scrolling through Instagram. A little movie made by one of my favourite Instagrammers, @minortismay.

In a sped up video she painted small flowers and foliage, outlined them in black, cut them out and arranged them in a hand-drawn frame. She listed s few of her inspirations, among them @li.la.o. So looking at her page I found a little bunch of cut out flowers arranged in a paper wrapping. I decided to give it a go.

Yesterday, this arrived …

It’s a letterpress drawer, a relic from earlier times and Im going to use it as a display frame. Like this …