Tag Archives: life

THE DISAPPEARING HOUSE…….

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Recently I learned from my daughter and a good friend that a house my family had lived in – a house filled with personal memories had been demolished!

Here’s the story…….It’s the eighties my husband Bill and our two children, plus animals had been living in Westtown Pa….just three miles outside of West Chester, Pa. The house in Westtown was a great family home. however in the American tradition we had to get in a car for everything……..! Coming from the UK/Europe this was alien to me….I was used to having local village shops/restaurants/pubs/coffee shops close by – all within walking distance of wherever I was living. In other words I was used to having a real community on hand.

Fast forward to the eighties……when Bill and I found what is now ‘the house that disappeared’. Set right across form the West Chester University library – at last we had a house where we could walk everything. It was like being released….no longer were we strapped to the bloody car!

We could walk out of our driveway into West Chester which again had shops restaurants,,etc. – …..and later on a studio a fifteen minute walk from the house.

And so imagine my shock and surprise to hear that the house had disappeared…….!

The house was about one hundred years old when we moved in….It had been built by the AMISH – in my opinion some of the best builders anywhere. It had been commissioned by a wealthy man as a wedding gift for his daughter. Not only was it as solid as a rock, but it was also aesthetically pleasing,, particularly on the inside.

Although it was right next to the University and quite a busy road….there were private hedges surrounding the property, plus a beautiful Lebanon Cedar tree behind the house which it looks like might have been saved.

Clearly not my business any more, but why on earth would anyone want to demolish this house.?

I think of a house that’s been in my Mother’s family in the UK since the 15th century which is listed – meaning that no one can cone along and tear it down! I completely support this way of being…..

On a personal level, I think of all the memories my family have surrounding this house…….which will always be with us.

My question is – does this represent a ‘throw away culture?’

Whatever it represents, It is very sad…. a little like The White House ballroom….(I couldn’t resist:)

WORKING ON WALL STREET –

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Not to belabour it, but my first marriage did not work which left me aged 22 a single mother. The next time I saw Jarrod’s biological father was when Jarrod was 27 years old!

Given that I needed a full time job – dear Mimi Kolff, came to the rescue.

Mimi found out through her good friend David Weld, one of the partners at White, Weld & Co. that there was an opening for a Gal Friday at White Weld……and there it was the beginning of a new chapter of my life.

I remember the day of my interview at White Weld, 20 Broad Street. I was twenty-two years old.

I left the elevator/lift at the White Weld trading floor and walked into a totally new experience. I was ushered into a glass cubicle where I met Sandy Lewis who was twenty-seven at the time. He asked me if I could make coffee, answer phones etc. and then he popped the question….‘DID I KNOW WHAT A WASP WAS?” I said a flying insect that could sting you…..

Sandy said ‘If I didn’t know that a WASP was a White Anglo Saxon Protestant….the job was mine……. I had entered an alternative dimension…………

A very old photograph of me on the ‘block stock trading desk’. the department that Sandy set up at White, Weld.

Over many years, Sandy and his wife Barbara (a superb photographer) and I have stayed friends. In recent years my daughter Christie and I have enjoyed several memorable visits to the Lewis Family Farm – in Essex County New York …………..

I have enjoyed sketching there and painted both Sandy and Barbara….. This spontaneous watercolour catches the intensity of Sandy’s eyes.

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Timing in life is fascinating – When I first met Sandy he was starting a new ‘block stock trading department’. At the same time Sandy’s father, Cy Lewis was Managing Partner for Bear Stearns & Co.

The new trading desk at White Weld was being built when I arrived for my ‘gal friday’ interview…….It was quickly picked up that I was a fast thinker and so it was suggested that I take my registered representative exam to become a broker ………which I did and passed with flying colours.

Christie took this photograph of me, Sandy and Barbara on one of our recent visits to the farm.

During the time I worked at White Weld New York, I watched the Twin Towers being built and so much more. On weekends Jarrod and I would often go to the Poconos where we stayed with a good friend.. On one such weekend we met Paul Judge who was on a Thouron Scholarship at the Wharton Business School ..……The plan was to move back to the UK with Paul………….but remember that ‘none of us is every creative enough to know how things will actually work out..!

Next time….Paul Judge and moving to the Philadelphia White,Weld office……..

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE USA – JANUARY 1966

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I might as well have landed on the moon. Everything was totally alien to me. From the brightly coloured cars and billboards to people whose accents I couldn’t understand, and so much noise. – policemen with guns……!

Unbeknownst to me at the time I was pregnant…which I put down to the five days of sea sickness. When we stopped in Virginia I asked the lady behind the counter for some orange squash – we both looked blankly at one another………..she pointed to some dark coloured liquid which I accepted because there was nothing else..only to find that it was sickly sweet…..apparently grape juice!

I quickly learned that the US was big….no quaint villages with pubs….just endless roads. The bus ride to Miami took about 28 hours.

Probably the thing that struck me the most was the segregation which was very obvious. As a white English couple we were warmly received but I was aware that black people were treated very differently.

My husband’s uncle picked us up at the Miami bus station….and then the long drive to Key West and my first experience of a Howard Johnsons with its zillions of flavours of ice cream! 🙂 .

I remember the first thing upon arrival at the cousin’s home was a colour TV and the Johnny Carson show ….all knew to me.

Of course this was years before digital cameras….and so I have very few pictures from this time….I chose this hummingbird watercolour to illustrate the further south we drove colours changed from winter to endless summer.

I was to learn that in the United States one could experience all four seasons at any given time of the year along with the amazing geography of the place.

Jarrod was born on 10th September 1966 at the brand new Holy Cross Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale.

My next post will be about moving to New York….

y very poor.

EIGHTY YEARS OLD THIS MONTH……

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This photograph was taken in 1964 when I was eighteen years old. I am with art school friends Maureen and Patrick. We are standing in front of what was then the Commonwealth Institute – now the Design Museum in Kensington, London.

Those were wonderful days in the UK/Europe – days that felt like they would never end. Life was exciting and anything seemed possible.

One of my favourite expressions is that ‘None of us is ever creative enough to know how things will actually work out’ I had no idea when this picture was taken where life would take me…..and for the most part that was good.

In January 28th 1966, having married possibly my parent’s worst nightmare, I set sail for the United States for what was to be a two year visit. My husband had family in the States and he wanted to spend time there…..two years seemed doable.

And so off we went……

We sailed on the United States Liner….on what turned out to be a very rough crossing. ………. Upon arrival in New York we took a Greyhound bus to Miami Florida…where we were picked up by my husband’s uncle ..who drove us to what was then the active Marine Base on Key West. My husband’s cousin was a captain on the marine base and his wife was involved with helping Cuban refugees. Because of this we became involved….handing out clothing etc. to Cubans arriving on small boats. Fascinating times.

Meanwhile I found out that I was pregnant…remember these were the days before birth control pills and pregnancy tests…!

And so Voila – my beautiful son Jarrod was born in the brand new Holy Cross Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale.

Here we are…Me with my new born baby Jarrod who would have been just a couple of months old when this was taken in a photo booth on Los Olas Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale.

Jarrod who is a musician will be 60 on September 10th this year……

And so now here I am approaching my 80th birthday……My goodness it has flown by…..

Here my son Jarrod is playing music for me while I sketch him….. this picture was taken about four years ago when I was visiting Jarrod and his partner Kendle in the States. .

PREMONITIONS of HEAT AND COLD

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Here in the UK we have just endured our second heatwave (not as bad as the rest of Europe) but still very hot for us…..and another is due to start this week……all of which prompted me to write this post.

In 1974 I was Iiving with my husband and son in the house on Talleyrand Road in Westtown. it was at this time that I began to experience some disturbing and recurring vivid dreams – more like premonitions.

One version of the dream was I would wake up in a small wooden hut in the middle of nowhere freezing cold…. Although I had blankets over me and all doors and windows were shut tight……I was still freezing.

When I managed to get up and open the door I realised that the sun was shining brightly and outside it was incredibly hot!

Another version of the dream was the exact opposite.. I would be in the same hut feeling so hot I could hardly breathe.. When I managed to open the door of the hut to get outside I found that it was freezing cold and there was deep snow!

The dreams were so real and vivid that I woke up believing it was actually happening.

I had other vivid dreams at that time…but these two climate related versions stuck with me throughout the years. I did share these memories with my husband and later my children………..

Those who have followed my blog will know that I have believed for many years that our climate is changing – and that the changes are being caused primarily by man’s neglect and abuse of our planet. At the time I had these dreams to admit to this usually resulted at best in sarcastic humour………!

Fast forward to 2025….it’s not funny anymore….the signs are clear and everywhere….We deny or ignore these signs at our peril. It might be too late for us, but for the next generations we must make an effort to change our lives. .

FYI I will be posting about getting heat and water into my studio…..I took a break because it was too hot to think! and I had several very interesting meetings and visitors.

MOVING INTO THE STUDIO ON PRESCOTT ALLEY – PART 2

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Putting things into context…1987 was a still a strange/difficult time for women – particularly in the States at that time. I could write several blogs on the subject but wont at this point.

My husband and I did a lot of socialising – attending dinners and parties….as well as hosting them – all of which I found boring and a waste of precious time. What I wanted was for Bill, the children and I to move to the country – Far from the Madding Crowd..……. a place where I could paint and Bill could write and the children could run wild with lots of animals…..

In short my art had to work around all of this. Those who have followed my blog will know that when I first met Bill Reed in 1971 on Wall Street, I had been a single mother and Registered Representative for an investment banking firm ….all the time planning to return to the UK/Europe as soon as Jarrod was ready for school. .

By the way although my stint on Wall Street was fascinating and illuminating – one thing I learned was – that it was not a life for me in any way shape or form!

My Prescott Alley studio cats Tushy and Mushy – were wonderful – A Black lop eared bunny also moved in………..

Back to my studio on Prescott Alley.

When I moved into the studio I had already been working there for several years….I Was living in the house on Rosedale Avenue with the family , and taking the short walk or bike ride to the studio every day..

The house on Rosedale Avenue… built. by the Amish.

At the same time I was in the middle of my ‘Quilt series’. which kept me floating financially…. There were numerous oils, and watercolours in the series.

Small quilt painting. oil on canvas. The two items in this painting can be seen in many other quilt paintings.

Water was brought to the studio via plastic gallon jugs – thanks to many kind friends…. and I used a bucket for a loo….something visitors tried to Avoid:)

Fortunately the studio was right in the middle of the town where there were restaurants, etc….and I might add my favourite pizza place at the end of the alley Benny’s....which I think is still there.

Large quilt painting from Prescott Alley – oil on canvas.

That year turned out to be one of the most important years of my life….the children and I grew up. Bill re-married, choosing a very different path….but that is what life is all about.

Any fears I had carried around with me were lifted….and I learned so much on a practical level. Most importantly I learned to understand the difference between ‘needs and wants’

In Part 3 of this little saga….I will talk about some of the key people who were on this adventure with me ….and it was an incredible adventure…

MOVING INTO THE STUDIO ON PRESCOTT ALLEY (PART 1)

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I am going back to the mid eighties….when sadly my marriage of fifteen years to Bill Reed fell apart. Much happened to cause this, but ultimately I put it down to a mutual mid life crisis. With more time and consideration I believe we would not have parted ways’.

Bill and I had a great deal in common. We cared deeply for one another, but for Bill it was difficult to settle with his work …whereas I was very clear about my life as an artist.

I left the marriage with basically the clothes on my back and the old ‘carriage house studio’ I owned on Prescott Alley. I remember our shared solicitor trying to dissuade me, but I was clear that I never wanted money or ‘stuff’ to get in the way of who we were as two decent human beings – or upset our children.

I decided to stop straddling the fence and move into my studio, which at the time had no heat or running water!

Thus began an amazing, eventful and life changing year.

The studio before I moved into it….

This was the moment when some thought I had gone mad, but in fact I had gone sane……..

I knew that in order for me to make the necessary changes, I had to be brave and take a leap of faith….. I JUMPED….

In my studio shortly before I lived there….I am standing in front of one of the ‘interconnections’ series – which I began in 1980 and am still working on all these years later.

Before I took the leap – I was living at home with the family a fifteen minute walk away from the studio….a home where I had all the necessary amenities. Jarrod was 21 years old and Christie was at school.

When I moved into the studio I entered a different reality….There were those in the town who turned their backs on me and there were those who helped me in every way they could. There were the practicalities of learning to live with no heat and running water….in an old carriage house…in the middle of the town on the east coast of the USA,

I painted this self portrait at that time. I have the painting with me in London – it provides a daily reminder that if I am clear about my direction in life and determined enough….I can do it….

To be continued……….