www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com for an account of being an Artist and Mother in Bognor Regis
www.antoniarolls.co.uk for my website
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me
All Going Well
Though very slowly it seems. I am sending out invites today, and will come up to London to do some personal visits to various places next week. I am always nervous of doing this, it is not easy to ask people to look at your own paintings.
I am looking forward to the whole thing. I have many friends and contacts in London, and I am hoping they will all come and will give me feedback too, on the paintings and the ideas behind the paintings.
The exhibition in December was a very important first step in asking for the conversation on How We Die to begin. I have only, so far, one story. Some people have many, some people lose friends, family members, children and even pets, and I can't imagine how they cope. I spent two years painting Steve, two years going over and over and over his last few weeks, days and day. I am in a much better frame of mind now, and am able to get on with life again. Steve will never go, but he is with me alongside my life now that includes a new partner for me, who is very supportive and deeply understanding of the whole A Graceful Death exhibition.
More when I have painted Mr Hiram Burnett. He is the new painting in the exhibition.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Thursday, 21 January 2010
Gentle Build Up To First Private View
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for an account of being an Artist and Mother in Bognor Regis
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com if you want to email me
A Gentle Build Up To The First Private View on 24 Feb
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com if you want to email me
A Gentle Build Up To The First Private View on 24 Feb
Alone With Tea Diptych.
This little Diptych is in the exhibition and says that you can be so very alone and lost but there is always tea. Even if you stand with the tea mug drooping a bit in your hand. It is about Life Going On.
I am slowly putting the exhibition together. It is less hectic at the moment because most of the paintings are done. I just have to do the one of Mr Hiram Burnett before he died, when I get the images through from his daughter and my friend, Cecil. The invites are designed, the press release is done, the list of invitees is ready and the rest is just Process.
I am having 2 Private Views, one on the first day of this exhibition, and the second on the last day. Come to both, it is a lovely way to start and finish.
the second
"A Graceful Death" exhibition
127 Worple Road, Wimbledon, London SW20 8RQ
Wednesday 24 February to Sunday 28 February
10 am to 5 pm daily
Sponsored kindly by
Clarissa de Wend Fenton of Property Lodge, Ralph C Rolls, Michael Copeman RIP
I hope to see you all there.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Michael Copeman RIP
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for an account of being an Artist and Mother in Bognor
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me
The Wonderful Michael Copeman RIP
Michael Copeman died last year, on Christmas Eve. He was my father's closest friend, and they had known each other since the 1950s. Michael never married, had no children, and inherited a wondeful old Manor House and grounds but lived in a converted coach house with all the paintings and wonders of the old Manor House in a kind of gallery in the part of the Coach House where the horses would have been.
Michael was a modest man, painfully modest and unassuming. His courtesy and manners were impeccible. He was tall, handsome, suave and the very image of the eccentric English Gentleman who could easily be mistaken for the gardener in his patched old clothes. Michael could and did scrub up well, going to many very fancy and exclusive functions, but was at his best out of the public gaze.
Michael was a fixture in my life from the moment I can remember being alive. He was always amused and amusing, had a wonderful fast sports car which I used to go in when I was about 6 or 7, and the best thing of all - he had an electic saucepan which I was too in awe of for words. He could plug the handle into a socket in the wall and it would cook stews and mince and he didn't have to do a thing (he said). Micheal was a wonderful and charming and rather eccentric bachelor, the kind P G Wodehouse may have written about. He lived in Felpham, a small walk from where I live in Bognor Regis, and I was privilaged to walk along the sea to have tea with him in his faded, shabby, delightful Aladin's Cave of a Coach House, with the most exquisite orange roses flowering when it was their season, on the old walls outside his windows, until he was taken into hospital for his final few months.
My two sons benefitted too from Micael Copeman. He paid for my oldest boy to be privately educated, and when Oldest Son went to the state sector, he paid for my youngest son to go to a small and very good private school instead. He also sponsored many other students through their education. He became firm friends with some Japanese students here in West Sussex, and helped them all to learn English, go to University and finally to achieve their PhDs He was a very generous man.
So this same Michael Copeman is remembered in this exhibition. He was a quiet, unforgettable, sophisticated man who did much good and didn't want any fuss. It is worth saying that he learned Arabic while working out in Libya because he loved the Arab culture, and when he met and became friends with his excellent Japanese students, (all of whom have shown Michael the love and deep respect and care of a family, in his last years) he learned to speak and write Japanese. Wonderful Man.
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me
The Wonderful Michael Copeman RIP
Goodbye Michael, Goodbye Old Friend
Last year a dear old family friend died. He was my father and mother’s close friend, and my father had spent many years teaching with him and travelling around Eruope in the 1950s. My father, despite having had a bad stroke, would come down from London to sit with Michael and this image is the last time my father saw him. We knew the Michael could not last long here, and my father finally bent over to him and whispered Goodbye Michael, Goodbye Old Friend, before getting the train back to London. Michael died a few hours later.
Acrylic on wood
Last year a dear old family friend died. He was my father and mother’s close friend, and my father had spent many years teaching with him and travelling around Eruope in the 1950s. My father, despite having had a bad stroke, would come down from London to sit with Michael and this image is the last time my father saw him. We knew the Michael could not last long here, and my father finally bent over to him and whispered Goodbye Michael, Goodbye Old Friend, before getting the train back to London. Michael died a few hours later.
Acrylic on wood
"A Graceful Death" at 127 Worple Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 8RQ
Wednesday 24 February to Sunday 29 February inclusive, 10am to 5pm daily
Open Evening Wednesday 24 Feb 6pm - 9pm
Closing Evening Sunday 28 Feb 6pm - 9pm
Michael Copeman died last year, on Christmas Eve. He was my father's closest friend, and they had known each other since the 1950s. Michael never married, had no children, and inherited a wondeful old Manor House and grounds but lived in a converted coach house with all the paintings and wonders of the old Manor House in a kind of gallery in the part of the Coach House where the horses would have been.
Michael was a modest man, painfully modest and unassuming. His courtesy and manners were impeccible. He was tall, handsome, suave and the very image of the eccentric English Gentleman who could easily be mistaken for the gardener in his patched old clothes. Michael could and did scrub up well, going to many very fancy and exclusive functions, but was at his best out of the public gaze.
Michael was a fixture in my life from the moment I can remember being alive. He was always amused and amusing, had a wonderful fast sports car which I used to go in when I was about 6 or 7, and the best thing of all - he had an electic saucepan which I was too in awe of for words. He could plug the handle into a socket in the wall and it would cook stews and mince and he didn't have to do a thing (he said). Micheal was a wonderful and charming and rather eccentric bachelor, the kind P G Wodehouse may have written about. He lived in Felpham, a small walk from where I live in Bognor Regis, and I was privilaged to walk along the sea to have tea with him in his faded, shabby, delightful Aladin's Cave of a Coach House, with the most exquisite orange roses flowering when it was their season, on the old walls outside his windows, until he was taken into hospital for his final few months.
My two sons benefitted too from Micael Copeman. He paid for my oldest boy to be privately educated, and when Oldest Son went to the state sector, he paid for my youngest son to go to a small and very good private school instead. He also sponsored many other students through their education. He became firm friends with some Japanese students here in West Sussex, and helped them all to learn English, go to University and finally to achieve their PhDs He was a very generous man.
So this same Michael Copeman is remembered in this exhibition. He was a quiet, unforgettable, sophisticated man who did much good and didn't want any fuss. It is worth saying that he learned Arabic while working out in Libya because he loved the Arab culture, and when he met and became friends with his excellent Japanese students, (all of whom have shown Michael the love and deep respect and care of a family, in his last years) he learned to speak and write Japanese. Wonderful Man.
Thank you Michael, for Everything.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
New Exhibition Details Finalised
www.antoniarolls.co.uk for my website
www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com for an account of being an Artist and Mother in Bognor
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com if you want to email me
www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com for an account of being an Artist and Mother in Bognor
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com if you want to email me
"A Graceful Death" Exhibition coming to London New Details
The "A Graceful Death" Exhibition will be shown in London at the following venue
127 Worple Road, Wimbledon, London SW19
care of Clarissa de Wend Fenton
sponsored by
Clarissa de Wend Fenton of Property Lodge
Ralph C Rolls
Michael Copeman RIP
Wednesday 24 February to Sunday 28 February inclusive
Open 10am to 5pm daily
Open Evening Wednesday 24 Feb from 6pm to 9pm
Closing Day Celebration Sunday 28 Feb from 6pm to 9pm
I look forward to seeing you all.
I am very happy to present a new painting for the exhibition. It is a wonderful image of a friend's father just before he died, and with it is the uplifting and moving account of his last moments with his daughter in hospital. This is very much in the spirit of the exhibition subject, how we die, how the end of life is the most important moment we will ever have, and how we who witness it have to carry on living. Until it is our time.
Monday, 11 January 2010
An Update On The London Exhibition
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for my blog about being an artist and mother and all it takes.
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btintertnet.com to contact me
A Little More On The London Exhibition
It is the beginning of January, and I have had time to put away the A Graceful Death exhibition here in West Sussex. Above is a picture from the first exhibition.
The next venue will be in London at the end of February, the dates will be finalised on Thursday and I will put them up here on Friday. At this London exhibition, I will have one more image to add. I want this story of the End Of A Life to include other Lives too. I hope I can do the painting in time. More of that later when I have proper permission to paint the person.
It will be interesting to see how the exhibition presents itself to the London audience. I am giving an interview to a magazine later this week, and when that is up and running I will put a link to it.
More soon.
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
antonia.rolls1@btintertnet.com to contact me
A Little More On The London Exhibition
It is the beginning of January, and I have had time to put away the A Graceful Death exhibition here in West Sussex. Above is a picture from the first exhibition.
The next venue will be in London at the end of February, the dates will be finalised on Thursday and I will put them up here on Friday. At this London exhibition, I will have one more image to add. I want this story of the End Of A Life to include other Lives too. I hope I can do the painting in time. More of that later when I have proper permission to paint the person.
It will be interesting to see how the exhibition presents itself to the London audience. I am giving an interview to a magazine later this week, and when that is up and running I will put a link to it.
More soon.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Time To Pack Away Till Next Time
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for my blog on being an Artist and Mother in West Sussex
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me
Time To Pack Away Till Next Time
I am drawing to the end of the first A Graceful Death exhibitions. It has been two years of thought and work, and I am glad. I am glad that it has been shown and that there has been such a response to it. I am glad that I have been able to show what began as my story, and seems to be most other peoples' story too. It is also good that the paintings exist. I can't imagine how I would have coped if I had not done them. Or if I had not the gift of painting to use to work throughout this experience.
I am sad too, because there was some opposition to the show, which makes me think it is even more important to do it. Important though it is to hear and accept how some people may not like what this exhibition is about, the amount of support and encouragement I have received from all sorts of places is very heartening. Many professional groups in the palliative care and end of life initiatives are interested in using the exhibition. Bereavement training organisations are interested and interestingly enough, some churches have expressed a desire to use the exhibition during the training of ministers. The images are being shown in a theological college in the Midlands over Lent and Easter in 2010.
Here are some more comments from the exhibition that is just finishing now. It needs to be said that individual images out of the context of the exhibition as a whole just do not give the same feeling of peace and strength and power that walking around the exhibition when it is set up, can do. Each painting has a description and an explanation. There is much love and hope in A Graceful Death.
"Extremely moving, extremely honest. This show must be seen by many people. Death and cancer are with us. It's unpleasant and frightening but this series of paintings helps us deal with those emotions in a positive and wholly honest way."
"I think this exhbition is brave and courageous and I hope that it becomes the first step to many other projects which will raise awareness of issues surrounding end-of-life care. I admire you, Antonia, and all you do. Thank you!"
These kind comments come from two people who have lost a parent each within the last two years.
This has been an unusual journey. It has shown me that we want to have a conversation about dying. It has shown me that grief, bereavement and loss are part of our world and should be accepted and understood as normal by everyone, as naturally as marriage, birth, redundancy, as natural and acceptable as a birthday party, by us. I don't expect us all to understand the depth or pain involved, but to accept that it is normal, and to let it happen. Give it time, give it its rightful place as a part of every single person's life on this earth. And death itself, gosh. That takes so many forms. It leaves us, the living, with sometimes insurmountable problems with carrying on. This is where as a society, we need to know that this will happen, that we will either experience or witness others experience, profound grief and what seems to be, madness.
This "A Graceful Death " is coming to London in February. I will keep you informed of where and when. I hope to see you all there.
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for my blog on being an Artist and Mother in West Sussex
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me
Dancing Steve Out Of Life
Time To Pack Away Till Next Time
I am drawing to the end of the first A Graceful Death exhibitions. It has been two years of thought and work, and I am glad. I am glad that it has been shown and that there has been such a response to it. I am glad that I have been able to show what began as my story, and seems to be most other peoples' story too. It is also good that the paintings exist. I can't imagine how I would have coped if I had not done them. Or if I had not the gift of painting to use to work throughout this experience.
I am sad too, because there was some opposition to the show, which makes me think it is even more important to do it. Important though it is to hear and accept how some people may not like what this exhibition is about, the amount of support and encouragement I have received from all sorts of places is very heartening. Many professional groups in the palliative care and end of life initiatives are interested in using the exhibition. Bereavement training organisations are interested and interestingly enough, some churches have expressed a desire to use the exhibition during the training of ministers. The images are being shown in a theological college in the Midlands over Lent and Easter in 2010.
Here are some more comments from the exhibition that is just finishing now. It needs to be said that individual images out of the context of the exhibition as a whole just do not give the same feeling of peace and strength and power that walking around the exhibition when it is set up, can do. Each painting has a description and an explanation. There is much love and hope in A Graceful Death.
"Extremely moving, extremely honest. This show must be seen by many people. Death and cancer are with us. It's unpleasant and frightening but this series of paintings helps us deal with those emotions in a positive and wholly honest way."
"I think this exhbition is brave and courageous and I hope that it becomes the first step to many other projects which will raise awareness of issues surrounding end-of-life care. I admire you, Antonia, and all you do. Thank you!"
These kind comments come from two people who have lost a parent each within the last two years.
This has been an unusual journey. It has shown me that we want to have a conversation about dying. It has shown me that grief, bereavement and loss are part of our world and should be accepted and understood as normal by everyone, as naturally as marriage, birth, redundancy, as natural and acceptable as a birthday party, by us. I don't expect us all to understand the depth or pain involved, but to accept that it is normal, and to let it happen. Give it time, give it its rightful place as a part of every single person's life on this earth. And death itself, gosh. That takes so many forms. It leaves us, the living, with sometimes insurmountable problems with carrying on. This is where as a society, we need to know that this will happen, that we will either experience or witness others experience, profound grief and what seems to be, madness.
This "A Graceful Death " is coming to London in February. I will keep you informed of where and when. I hope to see you all there.
Steve well and happy. "I Am Not Going Anywhere" is what he used to say. But he did.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Some Responses To The Exhibition
http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ for my website
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for my blog on being an Artist and Mother in West Sussex
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me for the exhibition venue.
Responses To The Exhibition
There have been a steady trickle of people coming and taking in the paintings, the words and the atmosphere of the A Graceful Death Exhibition. I have sat and watched people pass silently from painting to painting, thinking and observing and often remembering their own story. I have drunk so much tea this past week, sitting and talking to the visitors, and I am more aware than ever that People Are Fascinating. We have covered topics such as Death, Bereavement, Religion, Re-incarnation, Euthanasia, God and more. I even had two elderly ex world war two fighter pilots to visit, with all the stories of their lives and experiences.
A couple of the comments are below, and they represent the general feeling of the experience so far -
"A very powerful exhibition. As a cancer traveller I find this hugely emotional, challenging and reassuring. As Christian ministeers we feel this is tremendously important - a good, graceful death is what we should aim for"
"An exhibition that should be seen by eveyone - it has a message - a healing stlry which will resonate with everyone who has experienced a loss and separation. Brilliantly moving!!"
I am posting a few photos below to show you what it looks like.
The first photo shows the images against the wall. The second is an image of Steve sitting beautiful and brave, on his chair waiting to die, with text behind about how hard it was for him and for me. The third is called "Goodbye Michael, Goodbye Old Friend" which is what my father is bending over his old friend of nearly 50 years and saying. This was the last time my father saw Michael, who died a few hours later. My father, despite having had some pretty bad strokes and not always finding remembering things very easy, came on the train weekly from London to sit with Michael here in Bognor. This was an intensely personal moment, and it was very hard for my father to have to leave to catch his train.
I am expecting some more people today, and will carry on with the tea drinking and the listening and talking.
http://www.antoniarolls.blogspot.com/ for my blog on being an Artist and Mother in West Sussex
antonia.rolls1@btinternet.com to email me for the exhibition venue.
Responses To The Exhibition
There have been a steady trickle of people coming and taking in the paintings, the words and the atmosphere of the A Graceful Death Exhibition. I have sat and watched people pass silently from painting to painting, thinking and observing and often remembering their own story. I have drunk so much tea this past week, sitting and talking to the visitors, and I am more aware than ever that People Are Fascinating. We have covered topics such as Death, Bereavement, Religion, Re-incarnation, Euthanasia, God and more. I even had two elderly ex world war two fighter pilots to visit, with all the stories of their lives and experiences.
A couple of the comments are below, and they represent the general feeling of the experience so far -
"A very powerful exhibition. As a cancer traveller I find this hugely emotional, challenging and reassuring. As Christian ministeers we feel this is tremendously important - a good, graceful death is what we should aim for"
"An exhibition that should be seen by eveyone - it has a message - a healing stlry which will resonate with everyone who has experienced a loss and separation. Brilliantly moving!!"
I am posting a few photos below to show you what it looks like.
The first photo shows the images against the wall. The second is an image of Steve sitting beautiful and brave, on his chair waiting to die, with text behind about how hard it was for him and for me. The third is called "Goodbye Michael, Goodbye Old Friend" which is what my father is bending over his old friend of nearly 50 years and saying. This was the last time my father saw Michael, who died a few hours later. My father, despite having had some pretty bad strokes and not always finding remembering things very easy, came on the train weekly from London to sit with Michael here in Bognor. This was an intensely personal moment, and it was very hard for my father to have to leave to catch his train.
I am expecting some more people today, and will carry on with the tea drinking and the listening and talking.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)