Winterpoodles Worldwide

Alternate Blog Now active

2008-02-22T21:11:00.003Z

To catch up with the very latest you can peruse Tim's alter ego Rudra at www.therudrachronicles.blogspot.com

Seasons Greetings

2007-12-24T12:41:00.000Z

To all family, friends old and new we wish you fulfillment and freedom. Freedom from what? From the tyrany of mesmeric thought. Freedom for what? For no reason and for nothing to be gained. Life as it is.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

2007-09-25T10:16:00.000Z

'If God didn't want us to eat meat why are animals covered in it?'

T-Shirt.

Documentary crew in the mist.

2007-05-16T20:00:00.000Z

Filmaker Conor Heffernan and crew, Michael and Andrea visited today and filmed nearly three hours of footage towards a documentary (half hour) about Tim, Dr Strangely Strange and his painting career. We plan to invite them to the opening of the Catherine Hammond show in Glengarriff on June 2nd and one of the Dr Strange rehearsels in the following weeks. A good time was had by all and a surprising amount of detail concerning the sixties emerged. It appears that Dr S.S has become a bit of an inspiration for some young musicians!

Pithy

2007-02-17T13:09:00.000Z

Save the Earth... it's the only planet with chocolate. Oops; forgot Mars.

If you do not know what happiness is, you will never be unhappy. U.G Krishnamurti

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

Message in a bottle

2007-02-16T14:43:00.000Z

Tracks

2007-02-15T13:00:00.000Z

Cross the wordly ocean

2007-02-15T12:52:00.000Z

Hayshed Wabi

2007-02-03T16:22:00.000Z

Metal Wabi

2007-01-27T10:27:00.000Z

Wabi-Sabi

2007-01-25T11:05:00.000Z

My new friend the artist David Quinn ( http://www.davidquinn.ie/) has introduced me to the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi-Sabi. To quote Leonard Koren, the author of 'Wabi-Sabi for artists, Designers, poets and philosophers', Wabi-Sabi is a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

It is a beauty of things modest and humble.

It is a beauty of things unconventional.

In the chapter on the spiritual values of Wabi-Sabi his headings are:

Truth comes from the observation of nature

All things are impermanent.

All things are imperfect.

All things are incomplete.

"Greatness" exists in the iconspicuous and overlooked detail.

Beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness.

Piano Cars

2007-01-25T10:12:00.000Z

On the right you can see the Salvador Dali designed sedan. It's made from squiggy rubber, if only all cars were. This fleet is cruising the top of my late mother's baby grand (stomach steinway as they say). In reality it is a Bechstein made in 1893 and recently superbly overhauled by Jeffers of Bandon. It was a wedding present for my grandmother from her father Mr Justice Wright. I rather fancy being called Mr Justice myself. The paino now resides with me and is pleasant distraction when painting conundrums become too taxing. Painting is a suitable distraction when musical frustrations set in. Symbyosis how are you.

Strangely Normal

2006-10-27T15:16:00.000Z

' Embracing The Norm' is the new rebellion. According to Augusten Burroughs, New York writer, steroids are the new goatee. In my book pink is the new black. And so on...

Now to hard news:
Dr Strangely Strange are in negotiation with HUX records about releasing unreleased material from 1969, 1970 and 1971 . Even talk of the elderly Strangers recording 3 new/old songs in the similar style and format. Thus we may yet hear and see Dr Strangely Strange's 4th album: 'INTERN' .

FLY

2006-08-30T18:52:00.000Z

'Fly' is a new album by an Italian star Zucchero. Meiert Avis has made the video in Cuba with him.

"How can we fly with the eagles if we are surrounded by turkeys?" is the question he poses.

Sea of Hearts

2006-08-29T12:41:00.000Z

Mary Greene launched her solo CD at the Coachman's Inn, Kenmare , Co Kerry on Sunday 27th August. The gig was fabulous with great vocals from Mary and Noel, wonderful guitar solos from Noel and sax and fute from Ande Van Der Hoff . Get the album via tigerdogrecords@hotmail.com or go to their new website : www.greenshinemusic.com

Knickerboker Glory

2006-07-31T00:33:00.000Z

Photograph courtesy of Georgina Goulding

Autumn Fashions 06

2006-07-31T00:21:00.000Z

Bawneen (Báinín) and tartan are all the rage for Autumn this year. It is obligatory to wear head cover, preferably in similar material and colour to the main outfit. A robust and cheerful countenance will be a la mode for those chill autumn days here in , you guessed it, Killarney. Paris papers please copy.

New Ideas

2006-07-28T20:30:00.000Z

I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.~John Cage

Uncle Gil's Funeral in Kent

2006-07-02T08:29:00.000Z

Uncle Gil, the second Viscount of Brenchley, was 'laid to rest' at Brenchley church in the heart of Kent. The village is a picture postcard one of Olde England, beautifully maintained half- timbered houses, oasthouses, barns and manicured gardens overflowing with roses. The Moncktons have a strong representation here in the churchyard. Our grandfather the first Lord Monckton lies there with his wife as do two Monckton vicars of the church from centuries before. Gilbert was a huge afficianado of Kent and all things Kentish . He was also a devout Catholic having changed his religion in Taormina half a century ago (the site of our honeymoon). May he rest in Peace. May all his relatives find solace for the bereaved too.

The service was a blend of both mainstream Christian traditions, Catholic and Protestant and for me the highlight was the singing of our cousin Johnnie Monckton; restrained, heartfelt, sensitive and deeply spiritual. It was a call to be without anxiety and trouble; I will have to find out the name of the 'aria'.

No Carb Diet

2006-06-21T12:39:00.000Z

My friend in Seattle assures me she is on a no carb diet:

" No Cheney,
No Ashcroft,
No Rumsfeld,
No Bush. . . and definitely no Rice!"

The Playroom

2006-06-20T10:08:00.000Z

God's Rockery

2006-06-20T09:57:00.000Z

Summertime, West Cork

2006-06-20T09:54:00.000Z

The garden from the patio.

Hang onto your hats.

2006-06-20T09:39:00.000Z

As John Prine says "It's a big old goofy world". It seems The Evil Empire (the American Administration whom Nelson Mandela has called 'the greatest threat to world peace') has us all in its claws, so it’s back to the old game of creating an oasis around ourselves our friends and all we bump into; generating serenity and love as best we can ( with, of course, a wolfish grin on the face and a suitable dash of mischief).

Maybe it has always been this way.
Maybe everything is perfect just the way it is.
Maybe the bastards are out to get us.
Maybes get me nowhere...but I fancy some hot buttered toast. (but what about cholesterol and the starving millions?)

'You can't win' is one way to look at it. The other is 'you can win'. Then again 'what's winning got to do with it?'.

Happy June to friends far and wide, the foxgloves, flag Iris, sea pinks and fuschia are blooming like billyo down here in South West Cork and, as they say, 'the weather is good.....it's raining'.

To frame or not to frame?

2006-05-26T18:30:00.000Z

A respected artist friend informs me of the latest opinion on this thorny question. She quotes a VIP East European curator:

" A painting without a frame is like a dog without a nose".