PAY DAY THURSDAYS: Artisit meets poet: Maryrose Smyth

May 30, 2013

I’d like to introduce you to Maryrose Smyth.

She is a fantastic, artistic and expressive personality with beautiful art.  Maryrose approached me asking to collaborate.  She asked me to write a poem to one of her pieces.

Mayrose’s art work can be found on her website www.studiosmyth.com

And her blogs:

http://maryrosesmyth.wordpress.com/

http://wildwoodpost.wordpress.com/

So let’s learn a little more about Maryrose.

1. What is your name and where are you from?

Maryrose Smyth, I am from the Isle of Long aka Long Island borne. On the south shore in Rockville Centre, New York. I live in the woods in a canyon foothill of Los Angeles.

2. What is the main focus of your blog?

Writing about finding beauty wherever I am in the lost and found. Some days a life’s journey can be found here in my henhouse painting, writing studio or up at the house, in to the barn. Thirty minutes away from here across town in Old Town, Pasadena, or forty-five, in mid-Wilshire in Los Angeles.

3. Why did you decide to start a blog?

Artists, humans are seekers, contemplatives, storytellers. I want to evolve.

4. What accomplishment in your career are you most proud of? Family,

marriage of twenty-two years, not having been eaten, or if having been eaten, coming back from having been eaten, but stronger in some way. (Guess, I feel I’ve been eaten a couple of times)….keeping on.

5. Who is your role model and why?

Many people are my role models. My mother, father later in my life. My big, Irish, Catholic family. My own family, casual acquaintances, observations make for some keen life lessons. And, the pearls that fall from kid lips of special note. Not believing my thoughts and preconceptions helps me. Trying to keep from judgment. My Mom, sisters, and brothers, are amazing. Mom had to overcome a lot to find herself, leave Dad. My younger sister Bernadette (and her family) are powerful examples of the dynamism of the heart muscle. They have the strongest faith have made heart wrenching sacrifices, come so far in meeting day-to-day challenges of advocating for their special needs and gay children, being supportive but putting the shoulder to the wheel. My older sister, Sharon has moved mountains. Like Mom, she’s been the rock for our family, helping Dad get care after his stroke.

6. If you had to evacuate your home immediately and could only take one thing, what would it be and why?

After the kids and my husband…I think I have too many paintings and books I’d like to have. I am trying to deal with this stuff problem of late…I love stuff. But after the last four years had to get less mental on it. I’d take my writing on my computer, then my painting of a teacup and Mass card tea with a locknest and cyclone I think. I think that’s already over the allowance.

*I love stuff too, especially books art…oh yes and the family too 😉 *

7. What do you still want to accomplish?

The uncharted heart. Like my sister, my husband and I have a special needs adopted son. For myself, I have discovered over and over again how limited I am in my mentality, my knee jerk responses. Then my son and I dive in, muddle through, reach higher ground (with a cast of thousands of villagers). My husband and I are closer than ever, as we ditch more and more of our expectations and precepts. That’s exciting. Our teen is learning the family motto: Never Give Up.

*fantastic family motto*

8. How is your home like you?

My design, art, writing lab.  Everything gypsy vardo. An artsy smash up of old, vintage, ad hoc, precious and native, while keeping it real.

*Sounds great, I’d love to see it!*

9. If you could do anything what would you do? Why?

I’d take my sisters to Paris. Just for fun. Maybe to my (nonexistent) antebellum pad there in a swell part of town. Where the fountain spray leaves a fine mist on my south facing balcony chair. We’d have tea and listen for the bells of Notre Dame.

*Can I become one of your sisters?*

10. When you were a child what did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

Sitting in a great taffeta gown I designed but can’t afford, up in a European copper beech tree too big for that part of town, on a too high branch as thick as an elephant’s thigh, seeing Mrs. Perry hanging her handsome son’s socks over the line, clothes pins clipped to her faded gold print skirt, an older brother sneaking home from clubbing too late, he still hadn’t told our parents he was gay….I’m writing and painting about it…kind of like it is now.

Maryrose asked if I would write a poem to one of her pieces of art.  She gave me 3 to choose from and this is the one that I selected.

“Using a ‘smash’ of a Rockwell 60′ w Colorama ‘Leaving Summer Cottage Quogue,” with a Pasadena landmark The Gamble House, during our selling our house by same architect of Gamble House, Henry Greene.  Felt kind of personal take on economy and an illustration of it”

American Dream

Society, propriety

Economy

Imagery

Packing up for the summer

Suitcases in hand

But this summers belongings,

Are in boxes, not suitcases

At the end of the summer,

You won’t be returning

Down sizing

Economizing

Prioritizing

The American Dream

Artificial it seems

Unsustainable

Instant gratification

Children with belongings,

That won’t fit in a box or two

Expected to downsize,

Their lives,

Because of ‘you’

But family is not defined by monetary gain

Or by momentary fame

Family is what is contained

In your heart

In your words

So pack up the car

The cardboard boxes

Find the inner strength and steam

You have the ability to re begin

The true American Dream

The End

Here are the other 2 that Maryrose passed along for me to choose from.

“Illustrates the disconnect between heart and soul…as a if in an emoticon world.”

“Another ‘smash’ up is the ‘yellow’ hair girl after Roy Lichtenstein, after Dali.  A super surrealistic I did in a collage and nails.  Taking pop on as if it really popped, 3D fashion and in a Lich-kit.”

All three pieces and many more are available for purchase.  To see more of Maryrose Smyths  lovely work go to www.studiosmyth.com

Please contact Maryrose through one of her two blogs

http://maryrosesmyth.wordpress.com/

http://wildwoodpost.wordpress.com/

Written by Jennifer Writings of an Ex Mrs Posted in Blogging, Inspiration, Musings, PAY DAY, photos, Poem, Poetry, Traffic, writing Tagged with art, Blogging, Collaboration, Gamble House, Home, Los Angeles, Maryrose, Parent, Paris, payday, poetry, United States, Writing