An Artist in St.Maarten

Valetines Day

2009-02-17T06:21:00.001-08:00

Elton took me out to a great dinner at in Grandcase, and bought me a rose (above). We sat on the balcony at a table over looking the beach. There in the spotlight on the beach by the water edge stood a Great Blue Heron. He had just caught a fish when we ordered and it was hanging from his beak. The meal was great but the main entertaiment was watching this bird trying to swallow this fish. For a start it was waaaay too big and kept wriggling about. He had it the wrong way round and tried for ages to turn it head first without putting it down or dropping it. I thought he would have luck when it finally stopped moving but he just could not get it into his gullet, it was flat but way too wide, I think it was some sort of angel fish. Eventually it went in, but got stuck. It was so funny to see this big triangle lump logged at the top of his scrawing neck. By then a few tables and the waiter were all watching and someone said "do you think its gonna choke to death?!'. He coughed it up and seemed to get real mad and flung the dead fish to the ground a few times in a sort of birdie rage. He was not giving up and tried again and again. Eventually the damn fish turned the right way and seemed to go down. The bird stood there motionless neck streatched, beak wide open, head tilted to the sky, aided by gravity we watched the lump make its slow way down the long neck to the body. My!, that bird was a lesson in the virtue of patience, the moral given by watching this birdie was, "if you are gonna bite off more than you can chew, make sure you have the patience to see it all the way to your gullet!". I think I am going to do a painting of this one.

Ruby's Gallery Openning

2009-02-17T06:09:00.001-08:00

Artist Ruby Bute opened her new gallery in Friars Bay on the French side last week with an exhibition of several artists, music and a buffet. The guys playing are the same that was in "Art in the Park". I went along with fellow artist Mair and Elton came later. The Gallery is beautifully situated amid some very huge and ancient silk cotton trees. So, its fitting to call it The Silk Cotton Tree Gallery. The space is large and spacious and very nicely done. Ruby has her home on a plot next door. She has not got a sign yet but I guess its comming. I need to get some work displayed so I will pass by Ruby soon.

Lots to do/done

2009-02-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

Art in the Park the other weekend was good dispite all thoses showers. It must of rainned serveral times, but I was ready with my plastic sheets and rocks. There was quite a few visitors surprisingly and I didnt do too bad by selling 7 watercolored prints. we has two local bands to entertain us with some traditional music and drumming , above and above that is my little setup where you can see my prints and my roller hand press.

My New Website

2009-02-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Yeay!, I finally got one. About time too!. I have posted a link on topright hand side of page. I will be working on it and getting it organized better with more work and and separate places for my multiple styles, especially my ultra weird stuff. here it is.

http://stephanietihanyi.mosaicglobe.com/

Raining again

2009-01-31T04:38:00.000-08:00

I have an overflowing basket of washing that needs to be done. Its been like that all week. Its been raining a lot all week too. Last Tuesday night at Grandcase Harmony nights Art Fest was pretty good as sales go, its a lot of work but it was worth it. I was ready for the rain that night too. It rained on us twice but I rigged up this plastic sheet to the table whereby I can just flip it over my display. This rain here is like from a drop to downpour in 1 to 6 seconds, so you have to be quick.
I now have the hand-made prints in quite a few places around the island. In Philipsburg I have them in, the St. Gerain Gallery, The Museum and African Royalty store. In Simpson Bay, I have some in Top Carrot and in Marigot I have them in Amahoro gallery in the West Indies mall and opposite the market at Escale de Iles gallery. Here in Grandcase I put some at the Grandcase Beach Club boutique. I have a permenant exhibition of my large flower paintings at the Westin in the Silver Palms boutique. I have tried to expose at other places but not all places are suitable due to ignorance of the difference bettween a hand-made artist cut print and a photo copy and/or greedyness of wanting to take more than 50% while selling at too low a price. I dont need anyone de-valuing my artwork to the level of a photo copy!.
The art of printmaking has a long and respected history. Here, all the artists sell photo or lazer copies of their work. But there just over in Cuba, traditional printmaking is well respected as art.
No one except myself seems interested in block printmaking, Roland Richardson is the only one I know who earlier in his career did hand made etchings. There is a need for some educating. For that reason, I am doing an expo at the Philipsburg libary called, The Art of Print-making, at the end of Febuary. Where I can show my prints and also introduce the process of wood and lino cut. Lino was first used as a floor covering in 1860 England, a mix of wood dust, cork dust, resin and linseed oil backed on a fiber cloth. Artist in Germany first used it instead of woodcut about 1905. It was Picasso and Henry Matisse who first helped to establish it as a respectiable medium for proffessional artists in their printmaking. I have also written out an article for the Weekender in the Herald newspaper. Maybe some future classes to those that show interest.

Drizzling Friday

2009-01-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Thats what its been today. I have lost count of how many times its rained off and on. Feeling a bit blah today. No get up and go at all. Last nights aikido had an unexpected unfortunate ending. One of our students was injured during a fall. We had to call an ambulance for him and they took him out on a strecher. Luckily we are just down the road from the Marigot hospital. The reason I am not feeling so bouyant today is because I am the one that threw him. Granted, it was not a fast throw or particularly forcefull, but he failed to manuver his legs into the proper postition for his fall, which is a basic move. before I could see that, he was already going down. And down he went on the wrong leg, which popped out his knee cap as he fell on it. It must of hurt like shit, poor guy. I got thrown once and landed badly (due to my lapes of attention) on my shoulder, it pushed down my clavicle bone lower than the other one and the whole shoulder swelled up. I know last night was not excactly my fault but I still feel awful. I sent him a get well message today and hope he will make a fast recovery.
I picked up my new book yesterday that I ordered online in Dec. I think I will just sit quietly today and read abit. Its called "The Haunted Self-surrealism, psychoanalysis and subjectivity" by David Lomas. I want to expand my knowledge of the surrealist movement , its historical and psychological aims and its close links and affinity to the early psychoanalitic movement and why it has still endured strong today when psychoanalysis has seemed to wane. I mean, how can one be relevent and the other not?.

My New Linocuts

2009-01-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

I had been working feverishly on some new linocuts last weekend in readiness for Grandcase Harmony nights. Above is a few samples on banana paper. (I am trying soon to order some sugarcane paper and mullberry paper. Tuesday night was pretty cool. I set up my table a few hundred yards from the Fishpot restaurant and besides Sexy Fruits, the ladies boutique, (NOT the gay bar). After putting out my display I got on with working on a new linocut of a pair of fighting Sugarbirds. It helped to draw people over to look and I could keep them interested by explaining how I make the prints. I sold 5 that night, so thats not bad especially these days when people are so worried to spend anything. Quality always wins thru somehow.

Post-Aikido day

2009-01-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Its Friday, the day after Thursday's night aikido lesson. The day I am knack-erd, after a 3 week break of over-eating (sweeties) and general in-activity (on the computer or at my drawing table), last night wiped me out somewhat and I really wanted to sleep all day. Its not that I feel it then, (too busy wondering where I am going to land as I am flying through the air) but I really feel it the day after. Maybe this will diminish as I get back into it, or maybe it wouldnt.
Quite a few heavy showers today in Grand Case. This comming Tuesday will be the first day of the resuming of "Grand Case Harmony Nights". I will have to get out my tables and lights and stuff and roll along to take part. I can hear the rain chucking it down outside right now. I just hope it will not do this on Tuesday.

Santorini

2008-10-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

After a hair raising-ride in a hermetically sealed tube called the Flying Cat, I landed on the volcanic island of Santorini. the last time it erupted was in 1950 and I was wondering if it was going to go up today. Well happily it didnt, though I did get to have a great look around and there were some spectacular views. I also had a look in the museum to take a look at some beautiful wall freizes. The streets are so narrow, no cars can go there, here is the local trash collection service.

Trip to Minoan palace

2008-10-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

The next day, with aching legs, I boarded a bus tour to the Minoan palace of Phaistos that also made a tour to Matala on the Libyan Sea This chamber was surmised to be the Queens rooms due to the design.

The Sea at Last!

2008-10-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

Belive me I picked up speed through these narrow gorges hugging the sides of the cliffs. The sea was a welcome sight.

More Gorge

2008-10-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Further down the trail flatterns abit. It was a scorcher of a day!. Thank God for water that was available from many springs and the river itself. Here is a picture I took of myself, not my most glamerouse, but hey, this is what you'd look like when you are about to pass out from the heat and you left you knees back up the gorge!. The real reason I took the picture was if by chance I get buried under a massive falling boulder and this camera survives, they will know its me under there and so they can put up a plaque...'Stephanie Tihanyi.., she went in, but she never came out'.

Samaria Gorge

2008-10-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

I got up at 5.15am for this. Samaria Gorge, the longest gorge in Europe. It starts high in the mountains at 1200m and decends down to the sea. It is 18 km long. I went alone but there were plenty of people on the trail and was never 15 or 20mins from one group or another. I took a backpack with camera, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a bottle of water. we were expected to reach the sea by 4.00pm. These photos are at the begining of the descent.

Looking back: Crete

2008-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the photos I took in Crete. We stayed at a little seaside town of Hersonissou on the east northside. It had a busy nightlife and plenety of restaurants. It felt very safe walking in the busy streets alone at night. Patrol cars circulated often. Something I am unhappy to say I cannot feel in Marigot or Philipsburg. The local population seem very invested in protecting their tourism, something we here in St.Maarten appears unfortunatly, to take for granted. The girls and my sis and husband headed for the sun and the beach. Me, on the other hand, can get that any day in St. Maarten. I lined up a bunch of excursions in land. My first was the famouse Samaria Gorge.

Off the Crete or Did I ever say I dont like flying!

2008-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Oue journey to Crete was an experience and a half in itself. We got up early and went to secure the horses and clean the field (more pooh shovelling). When we got back to the house the girls were not finished packing. Anyone who knows how long it takes teenage girls to pack a suitcase knows this can be a very, very long time. We decided to go in two cars. My brother in law and two daughters and friend in one car, my sister and me in another car. My sis and I set off a bit earlier to Gatwick, about 3 hours away. The second car about 30 mins later. Halfway there we get a telephone message that something is wrong with their car. Sis and I pull off the motorway (bad move) to turnback. Only to find ourselves on another motorway with no turn off for 10 miles. Its getting close to check in and we are heading away. Finally we get back on the right motorway again. The second car manages ok, but is still behind and going slow because it has an overheating problem. Battling traffic jams and so on we make it to the bus port. Only 10 mins to last check in. Sis and I take the next bus to the airport hoping to check in it for the car behind that has not arrived yet. My nerves are begining to fray. The bus we take is slowed by an accident to the entrance of the airport, a biker has come off in the road, every minuet ticks by in agony.
Once there we bolt up the elevator and run like hell to the check in desks, just hoping the others are pulling in on another bus outside. The checkin desk says that they are closed 5 mins ago and we cannot go on. Dejected we amble over to the airline hoping to workout another flight. The attendant there says she will ring to see if the plane is still docked and if we can still make it. God bless her. We can!, but we have to hurry and run. Sis starts loading the luggage, meanwhile I run down the elevator to find the others coming in the front doors. We all run up to check in. After check in we all run like crazy down to the gates. My God it seemed to go on for ever, corridor after corridor, I thought someones going to have a heart attack and it most likely be me. At last we burst into the gate lounge. And what did I see? Full of people relaxing, lounging about. No one has even boarded the plane yet!.
Gasping and gasping for air from our sprint, we get a chance to catch a drink and snack and sit down. I mean what the hell?. Them telling us we are too late and the plane is not even open yet! I am so relived to of made it and exhausted that I just let the irritation pass.
15 mins after we were supposed to take off we all finally boarded. Thank God we are finally on our way at last. With my backside planted at last on the plane seat, nothing else can go wrong can it?. After what seemed like an eternity we finally taxied down to the park by the runway. There was a distubance behind us in the seats. A young man got up, "I cant do it, I cant do it" he moans. The stewardess goes over to him. his friends calm him down and the stewardess goes back to her seat. Up he pops again, "Sit down she commands him, but he refuses, babling and crying. Oh God!, what now I think. The stewardess is on the phone to the pilot, who is just about to turn us onto the runway. The plane turns around and we head back to the terminal. we dont go back to the same place, no, they direct us to a place away from other buildings. Out the window I can see police vehicles turning up and guys comming out armed to the teeth. Jeez!. Now we are a suspect plane. Mr. I cant do it, gets escorted off the plane to a police minibus under armed guard. I can see him thru the window getting grilled by the officers. I can imagine the questions. " Yes, yes, so you say you are afraid of flying, but WHY do you want to get off THIS flight so badly'". They had him in there and us parked for 3 hours. They removed his luggage from the hold, which they probibly had to search thru 300 peoples to find. I hope they blew it up as a precaution.
We were told he had a flying nerves. But we did eventually get to Crete , only 5 hours later and to our hotel at 1am in the morning and not at 5pm we expected. Happily the rest of the holiday was a million miles better than how it started off.

Back to England again.

2008-09-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

After Germany we returned to England and to Bristol. No sooner than getting off the plane a blast of cold air and wet rain fell. What a country, now I know why I choose to live in the Caribbean, (mosquitoes aside). Over the next week we prepared to travel to Crete for a week vacation. My sister and her husband, my neice, her half-sister and her friend. I made good use of the summer cloths sales, that had begun early because of the crappy british summer. I got some real bargins and stocked up on good sandels, the stitched kind not the chinese/indian rubbish they sell in St. Maarten. I bought Elton a really expensive pair of swiss leather sandels that should last, like, forever. I lived in Bristol during the 1980's. Its a young university city, with old architecture, a mixture of new age and traditional. Apparently voted one of the nicest place to live in England.

Trip to Germany

2008-09-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

By the end of June my sister and I took a trip to Germany to see our uncle and his wife and daughter. They live near Stuttgard, outside in a small and very nice village. Its surroundede by rural land and not far from the Black Forrest. We had a very nice time. The weather was so much warmer than England. Who cares if they never won the war, I'll take Germanys weather over Englands any day. We went on some very nice walks, among the vineyards and we visited a castle and had a really great beer there. It was the time of strawberries, oh and I LOVE (look at this huge sucker here), strawberries. In the afternoon we sat on the balcony and drank a nice light wine made by the neighbour and ate this yummy strawberry quark-cake (a lite version of cheese cake) made by my aunt. We did this quite often. By the time I left, I was all strawberri-ed out, (and thats saying something because I can put alot of strawberries away). We also got to spend some time with our niece, who we had not seen for a long time. I hope that she will visit me in St.Maarten one day. I look forward to seeing my uncle and aunt here in November.

My Niece's Prom Party.

2008-09-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

While visiting my sister ,her daughter, my niece had a prom party. Something that is a new and growing trend in England. When I was at school, decades ago, proms where only something we heard about in American movies. Now it seems to have finally made an impact over here and subsquently into the pockets of beleaguered parents everywhere in England. The kids hired fun limos and even a doubledecker bus!. After they went to a hired hall to party. I joined the adults to help watch the door and make sure no booze was sneaked onto the premises. Apart from one girl who had a bottle of vodka in her bra, they were all well behaved and had lots of fun. It didnt end till after 2am. Outside was cold. It was the middle of summer here and I was shivering. All that time in St.Maarten, I had forgotten what cold was.

Arrrrrgh.. down on the farrrrm!.

2008-09-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Its been so long, I have been away from my blog. I have decided at last I will stop procastrinating about when I will catch up and just get on with it. First though I must explain about what the heck I have been up to since my last post.

Back in June I went on vacation to England to see family. First week it was lovely and warm, then true to British summers, it got cold and very wet. I spent some time in London, visiting family in Luton. I went into London on some shopping sprees looking for art materials and exotic hand made eco-paper for print making. I found some nice stuff at Paperchase and The Green Store, banana paper, hemp-paper, linen, silk, straw and cotton paper. I also found at the Green Store some great lino cutting tools from Germany. On the second week I travelled to Bristol to visit my sister and her family..and the horses. She has two lovely horses which we went to see everyday. I helped out with the chorse of course. I remember many a happy hour wandering over green English fields among rabbits and pheasants with my shovel and barrow, scooping horse poo. Then when I had a great big pile of poo in my barrow, I wheeled it over to the side and tipped it onto and even bigger pile of horse poo. Still it was nice to see a different countrside of tall grasses, rolling hills and big trees, a change from all that blasted palm trees and bleedin' sand I am so used too.

The Electric Flamboyant

2008-05-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here is my electric flambouyant, unlike any Mr Roland Richardson has ever painted. You have got to really look at one for a long time to see it look like this (and without smoking any funny stuff!).

Double Hybiscus-new painting

2008-05-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is one of my latest flower paintings, its 3ftx 3ft on canvas. This variety is in my garden. Its multiple petals remind me of the whirling skirts of a local dancer dancing to some hot Caribbean rhythm. All passion and tempo!. I am nearing the compleation of a smaller painting today. Its a close up of the flamboyant, so close it is almost abstract. Using my "poetic thinking" (my term) I have painted licks of fire running along the side petals and from the central petals, branches of electric blue energy fields flying out in all directions. This is the energy given off by the plant I belive that only insects can sense. I'll post that one when I am done.

Hooray! Hooray!

2008-04-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hooray!, I got my computer back. Its been like missing an arm or leg. A few weeks ago something went wrong with it (the computer) and I gave it to a friend to fix. Two days later he had to leave suddenly off island back to Venezuela because of a family crisis. Hence that is why I have been gone. But now I am back and it feels like I have been reunited with a missing body part, (ok, so its kinda sad to be so hooked on internet, but hey!).

I have been doing all the usual things, painting and stuff, also I had an interesting time spent at the recent International Artists Biennale held in Philipsburg. I was there at all the workshops and volunteered to drive people around to different studios. Its was very enjoyable. I peeled off a letter to the Daily Herald too and was surprized they actually printed it on the next day!. I'll write a bit more about that later on as I have some layouts to get out pronto.

Monday, Monday...

2008-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

here we are again. Before that, I had a busy day Friday helping Ashif get his exhibition opening together that night. He came over to my house to cook little chicken rotis for the reception. I made up some fruit and rhum punches too. The reception was small but very nice. His exhibition will run till April 4th and can be seen at the Artists Corner, Marigot Town Hall during working hours. Sunday went to aikido but there was a small class because people were off island. Rest of the day spent in back yard drawing sketches for printmaking. Today, mostly working at home on some signwork.

Today my brain has been eaten by rabid dog

2008-03-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today I got a crappy headache and I found the perfect image that fits my state of mind. Blagggh.

Happy Easter All!

2008-03-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

Where can I get one?