In this second last post of the Painted House, we look at the remainder of the interior.
Main Floor
Bathroom
This is a difficult painting to capture, as the bathroom was about 5′ wide, tops.
I used the zoom-out feature to shoot it.
……which accounts for most of the distortion seen in the slideshow.
Dining Room
Living Room
The art was painted over wall paper in the living room. In a couple of pieces, the art was integrated with the wall paper, as seen in. the slideshow.
Second Floor
Bedrooms
This was a Jackson Pollack + (sort of) all over paint with installation. This is a tiny room, and the most popular with the kids.
“Put that back! Don’t touch that! I want this! No, it’s part of the art! Waaaaaa!, Don’t go there! I want the bear! Put the bear back!,etc.”
Not a guy, part of the art.
I got out of that room fast, but not before I nabbed a shot of me in the splattered mirror.
The master bedroom was done in faux stained glass effect, and partly shown in in the post September of The Painted House series. The third bedroom was featured in Bedroom of TPH series
All 8 (9th coming soon) of The Painted House posts are easily available to view by clicking on the diptych doors art, second from the top on the sidebar.
Mike Steeden’s adult historical romance embraces an idea of civilized existence via art, passion, love and peace. Set primarily in post WWII Montmartre, France, the story stakes a solid background in the horror of World War II’s Pacific War, and post WWII England.
Resa – In your books, and in prose on your blog, you often write of war, in particular WWII. I appreciate this, as I feel many have become indifferent to Nazis and white supremacy. Of course there was also the Pacific War aspect to WWII. To what do you owe this interest?
Mike Steeden – When it comes to WWII in my books, it’s all about my dad, a person who lives in my heart for no other reason than being my father. Jim, a tall good-looking man with wavy hair, who at 18 years was likely to become the centre forward for Brentford Football Club. Then ‘bang’, England was at war with the Huns.
Resa – Ahh, I had no idea. Please continue!
Mike – At just nineteen years, dad was captured by the Germans just outside Dunkirk whilst trying to retreat back to the beaches and possible sanctuary. The truck he was driving ran out of fuel just a few miles short of the beachhead. He and his mates were armed, amazingly, with only useless wooden rifles.
(that’s been validated, by the way…as there were not enough real ones to go round, and the Army wanted to make it look like all conscripts were armed.)
In the event, he and his comrades were herded up with the other POWs and, over several months, were marched across Europe to a camp right next door to the Krakow Concentration Camp in Poland, which would be his home for the next five years. His camp was named Stalag V1118 for what that may be worth.
Resa –Afascinatingstory, and we’ll end the post wth the rest of it.
Back to the book – Mike takes the protagonist, Green Eyes, famed French artist Zerach and the post war horror from England to France. It’s a mess in both countries, but France has Paris; specifically Montmartre.Once in Montmartre, Green Eyes, becomes an artists’ model.
Resa – Another topic you like to write about is Montmartre, the art scene and lifestyle therein. Tell me about this?
Mike – Whereas most modern nations are those thought of as ‘science led,’ in France it is ‘art’. It is for that reason I love Paris, the home of creative activity of all artistic kinds. To me, art is everything.
For the sake of it, think of June 1924 in the magical period of the ‘Années folles’. I often dream that I am in ‘The City of Love’, Paris by any other name.
"Overnight, spring has turned to summer, and it is as if the tantalizing romantic May dance of titillation has been fully consumed beneath the clear blue skies of the summer equinox. There are no shadows under the high sun of noon this day as Shirley, my wife, and I walk the Luxembourg Gardens.
Mike – The region of Montmartre is the home of this planet’s art of all kind. It is there we find Ezra Pound, T S Elliot, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, all chatting about Gertrude Stein’s party in Montmartre last evening.
Resa – Why Montmartre? Did you live there at one time?
Mike – Well, it is impressive with wonderful views overlooking Paris itself. Moreover, the town square is busy with a mass of wild street artists and cafés galore where one can grab a cup, take a seat, and linger like a local. Then there is the beauty of the buildings, old but magical. Give us another life and we’ll live there for ever.
When Green Eyes new friend, Charlotte, showed up at her Montmartre home wearing a lilac lace opera coat, I was fascinated by the coat. Green Eyes had to have it. I had to draw it.
Resa – Is this a coat you saw somewhere or did you make it up?
Mike – An odd one is this. I went over the top picturing Charlotte, as I desperately wanted the poor girl to be dressed in style even though that was all she was wearing. Why, I don’t really know; it was just a feeling for humble gratitude, albeit that she’d soon be happily naked thereafter.
‘Panash’ I call it, yet to give such a classic coat (I’m not very clever when thinking these things. I simply see them in my mind!) with captivating sequins, to Green Eyes who she hardly knew at the time, ensured a brand-new friendship, hence the story went on its romantic way.
Charlotte also shows up in an Avant-Garde kimono. As there is no further description, I came up with this, and shot in the morning light’s shadows.
Fascinated by the saga of Mike’s father? Here is the rest, as told by Mike.
Mike – As a prisoner he was, as I understand it, used effectively as slave labour down the coal mines of Silesia. The prisoners were regularly manacled…also validated…and that awful fact came back to haunt him in the nightmares of the dementia of his dotage, the poor sod. Nevertheless, post war and safely home, Jim, a six footer plus and the youngest of ten made it back to England five stone lighter than when he left these shores weighing in at a mere eight stone, yet picked up where he left off and eventually, after his apprenticeship, became an accomplished bricklayer. Sadly with frosted feet due to having no shoes during the war his dream to play for Brentford Football Club never happened.
Another thing, when back in England, Jim discovered his family had spent every last penny of his away…not a kind thing for a young man to take in and not go mad.
There you have, Miss Resa, a true tale that is glued to my heart and books. He wasn’t a bad old boy. He made me a fast bowler at cricket as well as teaching me how to throw darts pretty well. But basically, it was him and him alone who filled my brain with his WW2 torture…hence my stories.”
Then again, I have read a bit about Artemis, and almost nothing about Diana.
This piece is 3 years old.
I’m crazy about it.
The abstract background is killer.
Artemis or Diana – In the end I see an amazing Power Woman.
BONUS
Recently Dan Anton over at No Facilities posted a series on his visit to the Heinz Museum, in Pittsburg.
A Woman’s Place (the name being grist for the mill) is one of the exhibits. Fabulous and important women of Pittsburg featured in the exhibit are: Mary Schenley, Nellie Bly and Ava Duvernay.
Other notable women of Pittsburg include: Mary Cassatt, Martha Graham, Gertrude Stein, Mary Dee Dudley and Mary Cardwell Dawson.
These roses have been drawn. Unlike real roses, their image will never die. They will wait for us, forever.
Curtia Wright
Much is to be gleaned, at the foot of a grave; more than you know. Roberta Eaton Cheadle takes us to more than one place of eternal rest. She has fifteen tales for us to learn from.
Be it an icy death, in a cold cruel world of the future,
Sumartist
…. or a legend fraught from old wives’ tales, where tables turn in the wretched pit of a spider’s lair, should we be afraid?
Resa – Robbie, in And the Grave Awaits, Whether you have built a story from an old legend or an actual happening, there is something to be gleaned from each: a moral, life lesson or historical fact.
In other books, IE: Lion Scream, your sublime poetry (accompanied by brilliant photography)is filled with nature’s beauty, although animals and environment might cry out.
“A Ghost and his Gold” shows the horror and senselessness of war. Yet, reveals a better nature of man, through its riveting story .
All the while you are teaching about the Boer War.
Your children’s books teach about many things, and are a positive energy.
WHAT DRIVES YOU TO DO THE GOOD WORK?
Robbie – Your question is an interesting one. I am a sensitive person and I see a lot of things that make me feel saddened. On the other hand, I am a very positive person and I usually manage to find the silver lining in life. I think both of these aspects of my personality, the seeing and the positivity, come through in my writing.
I love to share information, photographs, and interesting bits and pieces with other people. It promotes conversations and ignites new thought processes and ideas.
Fondant spider made by Robbie
I think this love of sharing knowledge also comes through in my writing.
I especially like to teach children.
They are so eager to learn and discover.
Beehive cake art made by Robbie
Resa – From what age through adult do you think And the Grave Awaits is cool to read?
Robbie – And the Grave Awaitsis for adults, 18 years and upwards.
Resa – I had to ask because so many movies that are extremely violent and sexually suggestive are rated 14+ these days. When I was a kid, those same movies would have been restricted to 18+ , and we would have to show ID to get into the theatre.
Video games can be wildly violent, sexually suggestive, and seem to have very little parental oversight. This book seems mild compared to the games and movies I am referencing. I hope you don’t think I’m silly for asking. It occurred to me out of the blue, while working on the post.
Robbie– It is a thought provoking question and one I found a little difficult to answer. I listed this book on Amazon as a ‘normal’ adult book. No explicit sex obviously, and not overly dark compared to other books.
South Africa is still a conservative society, but it’s what I know and what I use as a benchmark. My aim with this book was to make people think about historical events and the reasons behind them. My purpose is to remind people what can happen if we don’t retain the human rights our ancestors fought for. People quickly forget the past and don’t know how easily rights can be undermined to the detriment of the ordinary person.
I don’t consider it to be a YA book, although teens could read it, because the characters are not teens. My understanding from what I’ve read is its the age of the characters rather than the content per say, that separates YA and adult.
Resa – I really appreciate your thoughtfulness on this topic. I have read a lot of your books, and have become a huge fan, because of your intrepid stance on what you convey through all of your artistic endeavours.
Following is a selection of street art. As in the first images of this post and in the cake and fondant art of Robbie’s, each image represents a tale in And the Grave Awaits.
Shalak Attack
Mandy van Leeuwen
The Half Decent
Nick Sweetman
If you’ve read the book and can’t figure what an image could represent, just ask in comments. If you haven’t read the book, you’ll have to read it to figure them out!
Robbie is a prolific writer. You can find her books on Amazon sites around the globe. Just search “Robbie Cheadle” for children and youth books – “Roberta Eaton Cheadle” for adult books.
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