My Blue Room

We first met Vivian when our host, James Baines, did a painting seminar (which she attended) in Tully, Queensland, about 6 years ago. We had a wonderful conversation and we never forgot her, yet when she showed up in the Baines’ kitchen a couple of months ago I was shocked, because when we met her she was the owner/editor of the Tully newspaper and I had no idea anything had changed. Well, that wasn’t all, her husband had passed away, she sold the paper, her daughter got married, she built a house on her property here outside Malanda and had taken up permanent residence there a little more than a year ago. She looked great! Her husband had been sick for a long time and,  though she missed him, with this weight lifted she had a new, vivacious light in her eyes…We had another short, but sweet conversation and she invited me to come visit her new home.

Well, my clients back home have been very good to me since I’ve been here and have kept me very busy, so I didn’t make it over there until a few days ago. It turned out to be serendipity, and the timing was perfect in every way. She picked me up and took me there, where her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Pagan (I’m the Christian, she’s the pagan, said Vivian, laughing) greeted me as if she’d known me forever. First she showed me the studio she’d built. Have to admit, it would make any artist green with envy! I was.
On our way to the house she showed me the work she was doing with her garden beds. She’s been adjusting to living alone by making her home and grounds just what she’s always wanted. Although the beds are young, I could see that once her plants mature it’s going to be gorgeous. When I’m done painting with dirt and flowers, I’ll get busy in the studio, she told me with a smile. Once inside, Vivian made a pot of Chai and we sat down at the table in a glassed-in veranda with incredible views of the Atherton Tablelands, which that day were crowned with a blue sky and scudding clouds. The wind blew as we talked about everything under the Sun, from her late husband to matters of faith, reincarnation, resurrection and the Lord’s return…the phone rang…she came back talking about the prayer meeting the Spirit himself organized, called people to, sustained, then ended without any effort on anyone else’s part…then there was the aborigine man she sat next to in the Full Gospel Businessman’s Fellowship she used to attend…another pot of Chai…then she was sharing experiences she’d had as a child and with her own children, then her daughter’s recent wedding in England. We sauntered into the kitchen for a chicken sandwich at one point, still talking, only now it was the book of Ezekiel and UFO’s. And there was more, so much more, we talked for…for…five and a half hours! Time seemed to stand still and the Universe swirled around us as our connection grew deeper and deeper. magic. I knew I needed pictures of her beautiful surroundings and of course, of Vivian, so we went outside and snapped a few, then she brought me home. I was so overwhelmed I lay down for a siesta, dreaming of blue skies and Pagan’s eyes, politely asking for bits of biscuit at Vivian’s table.

Technorati Tags: Australia, Queensland, Atherton, Tablelands, artists, studio, friends