Marie seals gift for Sir Richard with kiss

Marie seals her gift to Sir Richard with a kiss

When naïve artist Marie Jonsson-Harrison lived on the farm at Balaklava, she not only honed her skills as a top professional, she also day-dreamed about the scope of her work.

She thought one day she might like to paint an aircraft, but because of its unrealistic nature, she painted a bright artwork instead, entitled Virgin Brides including many naïve characters in white dresses – and also a few Virgin aircraft.

And yes, she thought back then, how nice it would be to meet the British magnate and investor,  the very rich Sir Richard Branson and present him with her colourful work.

Years passed, until  she met Adelaide TV identity Paul Makin and, when she heard Sir Richard was coming to Adelaide, she mentioned how she would love to give her him her artwork which he had inspired years ago.  Certainly it was a tall ask: the still handsome 63-year-old  tycoon best known as the founder and chairman of Virgin Group of more than 400 companies has countless levels of command below him even before he takes the telephone.

Of course, Marie had followed her hero down through the years and had read Sir Richard’s autobiography “Losing My Virginity’’.

Paul, with more than a dash of entrepreneurial style himself, said “Leave it to me!’’ and after the usual hurdles associated with meeting a famous A-listed world-renowned super hero and trying to manoevre around his minders, Sir Richard was coming to Adelaide.

But Paul pulled it off, taking Marie and presented her to Sir Richard before his minders could do a thing about it.

“He graciously accepted my artwork and seemed genuine when he told me “It’s lovely Marie’’,’’ says Marie.

”I reassure you that he is just as handsome in real life as he is on TV and a really nice guy to boot.  He took all the time in the world to say hello and admire my artwork,to chat and kiss!’’

How groovy is that to kiss Sir Richard?  And now he has one of Marie’s colourful naïve artworks to decorate his abode.

SPEAKING OF BIG DREAMS one of my long-time role models, filmmaker David Lynch has hit the news with an article in Weekend Australian – In Love With An  Idea.  He is about to release an album entitled The Big Dream, his second LP in three years. His Crazy Clown Tune was well received which must be a rush for the 67 year old who performed his own versions of rock ‘n’ roll delivered  in his “reedy singing voice’’.

In the article, by Ben Machell, Lynch presents himself as an “almost obsessive-compulsive creator” with a wellspring of achievements in music, art and film. However, his career on the film-making side seems in the doldrums, despite a heady list of films including Eraserhead, Twin Peaks and Lost Highway.

So, if funds for films are drying up, Lynch simply embarks on yet another creative outlet – music.

He likens creative urges to falling in love:  “If you fall in love with an idea it’s like falling in love with a girl. There’s nothing you can do about it. You have to follow through.’’

My interest in David Lynch was triggered by his daily practice of Transcendental Meditation, a method to settle the mind and trigger consciousness and creativity. His videos on the advantages of TM are inspirational and have helped me to maintain my own TM practice for much of my adult life.

It seems he has been stricken with the love urge a few times too.  In September, Lynch and his wife actress Emily Stofle, announced the birth of their daughter, Lula. Lynch already has three adult children from three previous marriages, his eldest being director Jennifer Lynch, now 45.

The Big Dream is out now on PIAS/Liberation and I might go and buy it.

 

 

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1 Comment to “Marie seals gift for Sir Richard with kiss”

  1. By Marie Jonsson-Harrison, 02/08/2013 @ 3:28 pm

    Lovely article Nadine as always, yes Richard was truly lovely and I am very grateful to Paul too. So to the 3 of you; Thank you very much.
    I just read your full page article in The Advertisers Boomer magazine and must Congratulate you on that too Nadine. It was a delight to read, and a dilemma I identify with very much. But unlike you my clutter is still there beckoning me to tackle it! Keep up the good work. Love Marie xxx (Here is a link to the story Paul Makin did on ARTnBED and kissing Richard Branson for those who missed it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiaiVE8VB2U&feature=share&list=UUIRirk9ouIDcLj-PQBPE3WQ )

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