Voodoo
The magic of night
Ain't no stopping the light
Under shadows alive
After midnight till five
In the morning so bright
Sunlight streaming in right
Where the magic of Voodoo
Picks up all that you do
And after the session
Artistic confession
A canvas in place
From way out of this
Space
KF
Big fish, Little fish... swimming around in the gallery tank. They kinda make me smile.
Much. K
Feels great to do what you want. Monark Gallery can be anything I want it to be... today it's selling autumn inspired floral accessories. Tomorrow it might be a painting. K
Tuesday 14 May 2024...
It's a crisp autumn day in Wanaka. We've been out for coffee at Big Fig. We're getting the house ready for us going away again... this time it's for a few months. The business will keep going, family will be staying. Life is good. K
The trips going well... a few weeks down and we're having a ball in Vietnam. I love everything about this place... the coffee, the cocktails, the food... the transport, the energy, the buzz. We're not the only tourists here and although there is expectation for us to buy, and we do sometimes... we're pretty much left to just enjoy the place.
We're making our way down the coast, lapping it all up. We're in Nha Trang, bit of history here and we're excited to be making our own. I love this place. Bit like the Gold Coast, but to me it's more laid back. I'm already planning another holiday here... I do that everywhere I love to go.
"Shall we go to Dalat, says here it's the most romantic city in Vietnam"
'yeah, well lets have brekky and decide. When do we fly out?'
We hop in the shuttle for our trip up. Roads are bumpy, driving is mad. It's not uncommon to be speeding head on into traffic and we get fluent in horn language. This'll come in handy for India. We pull into Dalat, past thousands of greenhouses and flower farms. They did say it was the flower capital of Vietnam. There's hotels on every hill and we're surrounded by a circle of lush green and French Chateau style buildings. This is cool.
We have one night to enjoy. Should've booked longer, but it's great to really make the most of the time, see what we can cram into just one night. We get to our hotel, in the centre of town, location is everything. There's things to do here, but what we really wanna do is hit the street. We walk everywhere, past the lake, through colourful alleyways, markets, and find the most interesting little cafes, bars and restaurants to enjoy. Must be why they call it romantic... the vibe is good.
We're learning how we like to travel. After all the crazy busy years, it's really nice to be able to chill and there's a whole world out there to see. We'll start where we want to go first then make our way to Europe... we'll make a plan.
Saturday May 14th 2022...
It was a crisp, autumn day in Wanaka. I'd just gone back to work the day before. Life was anything but normal, but we were coping together. An eerie silence followed an urgent phone call, a frenzy of activity and that was it. Just like that. Grief changes you as a person, it changed our family. I think it's made us more resilient. More determined to do the things we want to and less worried about the things we don't want to do. There was no funeral. Dad didn't want that, he wanted us to remember him living. He always loved an adventure, even from the comfort of his lounge. He was a true artist... nature he'd say, that's the real art right there. Off to Dalat... right now. K
Life what is it?
Beautiful they say
To remember them youmg
Is the name of the day
We laugh at their manner
And cry when they're gone
Only once did I ever make one perfect scone
At the end day before
As he struggled and more
I had prints I had bought
So I showed him once more
Are they good? did I ask
Bit weak he said gasp
He was right they were wishy
And washy and past
As the time was unfolding
A world to await
This is nature we said
It is love it is fate
We don't live forever
We know this is true
And missing is easy except when it's you
So thank you for being
We all had a blast
Just a shame it is always all there
In the past
And life is for living
One day at a time
And love, well its always cost
No more
Than a dime
KF
This is a very personal one for me. Two years ago I lost my dad. He always had my back.
He was funny, and caring, and quirky, and kind. I miss him. We all do.
I see bubbles everywhere, I see them near and far
Sometimes they're overlapping, or resting on a star
I jumped inside one yesterday, another one today
I tried to catch one floating by, but it chose not to stay
Like little bubbles floating high, these circles come and go
And knowing what to do with them, is what will make you grow
Some are filled with happiness, some weighed down by dread
I choose my bubbles carefully, to pop inside my head
For being an artist is to be true, you cannot ever lie
And after all you've painted out, your brain river runs dry
So I fill my head again, and cram the bubbles in
I fill my brain with lots of these, and squash as many in
Let these bubbles brew a while, fighting for some space
The mashed up circles of life around, can never be erased
I now know what I believe it takes, to paint from deep within
It's truth that needs to be expressed, not an imaged laced in sin
A big breath in, a big breath out
Thats how it has to go
It's impossible to paint your mind, from underneath the snow
So stay a while, the truth is there
It's never going far
It's waiting there to be your friend, to be your shining star
Close your eyes and grab a brush, paint through your little maze
To find your way to find your truth, inside you have to gaze
The best way through has little effort, not forced or blocked or tainted
But only you will ever know, exactly what you've painted
And after you have told your truth, it sits there for all to see
But what's the use if not to share, for others will relate
To talk, connect and drift within, and spark their own debate
KF
I have met some pretty incredible people over the years through art. It's taken us to a lot of places we would never have even thought possible. Looking back, I can't really believe it took me to Samoa, 2 exhibitions later and 2 incredible art workshops in one day teaching both deaf students and art teachers from all around Samoa to paint on textured material. A bit of a rush when I stop and think about it.
Living in a small town has taught me a lot. It ain't the city. It ain't the art hungry, museum loving, art buying capital I'd hoped it would be. If only we'd live in New York I'd dream almost every day. It ain't big fish country and it certainly ain't the South Pacific.
Stuck.
...to Varanasi...
'We'd better get some money out', he says, 'half the money machines round here don't work and we don't wanna be caught out, not there'.
'I'm going to the money machine, you wanna go?', he says
"yeah I'll go", says me looking out the window at the chaos outside.
It's late afternoon in Dehli and the streets are heaving with screeching cars, cows and people in every kind of cloth imaginable to man. A bit hectic, but we've got used to it now.
Walking out of the hotel and we're instantly approached. Every street vender sees us coming... like we've got a spotlight on us spelling out the word tourist in large bold print.
'Yes ma'am, come inside'
'Hello sir, where are you going'
'What are you looking for'
'Hello Ma'am, shopping... you come look in my shop. Anything you need I have, yes, you come look ok'.
Street vendors too... first the guy weaving some embroidery, then someone selling shoes, oh, and all the tourist offices. Every doorway has someone outside to lure you in, same in Vietnam. Hello, massage.
It's so different here, the way of life is so busy and there's opportunity everywhere. We have learnt to say no, nicely and with a smile, sometimes assertively and more often, just a wave of the hand. I feel bad saying no all the time, so every few shops I stop and look, sometimes a chat, always a pressure and even a desperation to sell. Once I get stuck inside a clothes shop, another time it's a department store. Everything is for sale and they just want you to look. We do, we look at beautiful silk sari's, pashmina scarves, shirts and dresses. Fair to say I came home with a big bag full of clothes and I do love shopping.
Finally, we wrestle our way to the train station, we've been told there's a money machine nearby so we figure it's gotta be easy to get to. Wrong.
After rushing across the busy street, we've instantly met by another man... a tuk tuk driver, usual questions...
'Nah mate, we're just looking for a money machine'
At this point I see him on the phone and amongst all the commotion, I get a weird feeling we're being set up. Of course we've read about this happening in the travel books but it's so quick in real life when it does. I wait outside when he goes in to use the machine - of course it doesn't work either. Just about every machine around here is either out of cash or completely broken. But we try anyway in the hope it might just squeeze out a few rupees for a cab fare and tip.
We're approached again, same man, same urgency, tells us to go that way, to the square. There's a machine there, that one works, and he walks off. Not a few steps later, we're approached by another man, same sales pitch, same bs story... 'no thanks mate, we're going this way'
Walking faster now, another man approaches and blocks us from crossing the street. 'You looking for a money machine?', he asks... turning around I see the second man on the phone. Scam.
"Let's go" I'm like getting a bit scared now, 'ok, stop, we'll cross here, you ready', "yep", 'come on, quick'
And we're off... back to the street we came from, and luckily, a working money machine, just near the hotel. Could've saved all that time. Back to the hotel, pack up, back to the train station...
The tour guide at the hotel who sold us the ticket was awesome. He told us exactly what to look for when we got there. It's great to have that when you're traveling and we learn to trust a little more.
Waiting on the platform, walking past lines of ("are they bodies"?) lined up along the platform, stairs, and sidewalk. Boarding this train was always gonna be a little mad. We find an empty space and sit.
Not long, a man approaches in a blanket, bare feet, bit scruffy but I'm no judge.
In very broken english...
'ah where from? What country' where from?'
'New Zealand'
'oh Nooo Zillend'. 'Nice' 'this your wife?', 'me, photo'
I'm already standing up, turned around, scanning the numbers for where our train carriage might be approaching and looking for an exit out of this awkward encounter.
Persistently the man doesn't let up. He repeats everything again till he starts moving and hovering way too close for comfort.
'your wife, huh, photo, me'
'She doesn't want to mate'
'uh your wife... photo'
'She said no mate'
I can hear him in the distance as we're walking towards the wall. He follows us there too.
"Trains coming, thank God, I didn't think he'd actually leave, hope he's not on our carriage"
'Don't think so' he says, 'probably not even catching the train'.
The train is long, really really long, and eventually comes to a stop. A quick sprint down the platform and we're outside our carriage. There's a big argument going on, guards are screaming at some passengers and they get pushed out onto the platform with their luggage. Guard slams the door and locks it. Damn.
Slight panic, we run to the next carriage, knock on the door, hard, door opens and we hand another guard our tickets. Trains about to leave and everything is jam packed. How are we gonna spend the next 14 hours on this thing, what are we doing? He directs us down to the three storey bunk, shines his torch, we're in the middle and top. Climbing the steps to the top bunk, my mind is fizzing but relieved in some strange way. It's travel, and not how we know it. We drift off to sleep.
K
Drifting, drifting, drifting
Around the rock we go
Where is the river taking us
Sometimes I have to know
I know where we are going
The destination clear as mud
But corners that obstruct our view
Make us all land with a thud
Well the river is always flowing
Sweeping us around the bend
Like it all or fight the flow
Are messages we send
Weaving round the boulders
Like bees around a hive
The bubbling water runs at speed
And always feels alive
Drifting down Green River
I long to stop and think
To ponder just where we might go
Before the sky turns pink
For at the fall of darkness
We must be safe and free
The lights of stars and fire flies
Are shining through the trees
Drifting down we stop and rest
And look back at our travels
Our memories of places met
Are lying in the gravel
In the light a new day dawns
As we drift down the stream
We dare to dance, we dare to run
And always dare to dream
KF
We break ground on our new place in Wanaka. You could say it's the house of our dreams. Everything is up for design in this place, and I mean everything. Such a rush it is to get going on this project... it's gonna be life changing.
I have a pair of jandals, they're parked up on the sand
They're waiting for my feet, and sometimes for my hand
I must go out and find them, they're somewhere left behind
That's why we must go back again, of course I never mind
There's jandals in Samoa, Rarotonga too
Fiji and Hawaii, and where the waters blue
Even when the jandals leave, the footprints still remain
Imprinted deep upon my heart, we'll never be the same
There's many pairs in other parts, in countries near and far
On beaches seen by eyes wide shut, reflected on a star
Memories and places seen, are yours and yours alone
And when you have your memories, they're always yours to own
KF
Welcome to our writing blog... I'm doing a bit of a rewrite at the moment. I always love to write, especially when I'm on holiday... I find the freedom inspiring. The first of many poems and stories to come... Footprints on my heart.... where it all began...
TURN YOUR LIFE INTO A WORK OF ART
See it, breathe it, do it, taste it, live it, share it, experience it, plan it, dream it, action it, achieve it, enjoy it, feel it, give..............
Give all that you have but leave some in reserve, share all that you are but not all of your clues, plan 5 steps ahead but don't walk off the track, embrace change when it comes and it scares you like mad,
be fearless and free but still scare yourself stupid, be accepting of others, understanding and lucid, be generous with time, leave enough for yourself, share a cake with a sparrow, a duck or a mouse, work as hard as you can, keep your eye on the game,
see things in the dark and keep feeding the flame, be honest and open to keeping it real, and smile away when you let out a squeal, keep painting a story, your mind as a brush, your life as a canvas and not at a rush, keep telling your story not writing your lies, and always remember, keep feeding the source, or the fire will linger and not be the force, so yell out as loud as you can without sound, and hit the ground running, heaven abound........
Add a little bit of that secret ingredient that only you know the recipe to, rock out to a song that is yours to own at the time, simmer it away in your pot until you are ready to boil over and then sprint as fast as you can before the momentum runs out. Have a coffee then...........
Do it all again and again and again and again and again and again and again. And never forget whats important in life!!!!!
KF
This was the start of a really fun journey for me. Trying to figure out art and writing in the beginning was overwhelming and I explored a lot of avenues along the way. Traveling to the South Pacific was an integral part of the process, along with our exhibition and collection for the Edgewater Resort in Rarotonga... with artwork all over the South Pacific, from Beachcomber Island in Fiji to Samoa, to Niue, Vanuatu and as far afield as Kiribati and the Solomon Islands... our goal of 50 paintings in 50 countries before I turned 50 has been met. Included in this list is work in Australia and Santa Cruz in The United States, and a lot of work created, sold and donated all around New Zealand. This has been the most epic few years of my life.
Art is Life... Live the Dream.