I'm a bit of a slacker when it comes to tags. Partly because it involves thinking which I'm not so good at these days and partly because there's not much to tell that I've not already blathered on about! Now Christmas toy knitting is out of the way and things are calmer I've had a little time to ponder 8 random things and I've dredged up some vaguely noteworthy things from the dim and distant past and so here goes…
My favourite childhood book was The Water Babes by Charles Kingsley and I still try and live my life just like Mrs do-as-you-would-be-done-by.
When I was six I won a fancy dress competition. There was a slogan that year "plant a tree in '73" hence the tree costume! (thanks Mum!)
If you'd have asked me at 9 years old what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'd have replied "Mrs Donny Osmond"
As a 14 year-old on a school outward-bound week in Wales I took up a
dare to do a midnight streak down the length of the dormitory corridor
and was caught by a very perturbed male teacher – he didn't know where
to shine his torch! It earned me the nickname of
"white-bits"!
When I was 18 (and pert in all the right places) I posed nude for some photos in college which were displayed in the end of year exhibition. Not to worry though, I ended up marrying the photographer! (of course now I'm older and more saggy I've become less of an exhibitionist!)
I trained as an illustrator but hardly ever paint or draw these days. I think it's because when I paint I need to work on a piece uninterrupted until it's finished and just don't get the chance to do that these days. Luckily knitting is much easier to pick up and put down! (these are a couple of paintings done in my early 20's**)
I've lived in many different towns up and down the country. I'd like to move just one more time – to somewhere distinctly un-towny.
The older I get, the more I crave peace, quiet and simple pleasures.
Thanks to Moogsmum, Maddy and Patsy who all tagged me months ago! I'm not going to pass on the tag but I will pass on lots of good wishes for a good weekend!
** have taken off the nude painting photo after an email that suggested it might cause offence. I put it on as I thought it was fairly gentle nudity and I'm sorry to anyone who was offended, you can rest assured that normal knitted bunny service will resume and no more nudity!
little cotton rabbits 
I love your illustrations! You are a woman of many talents, Julie.
Also, you would have had to fight me to be Mrs. Donny Osmond. I remember the year I got the Donny and Marie dolls and show set – best Christmas EVER!
Have a peaceful weekend!
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What revelations – I was a Donny fan too and had the same dreams! Fantastic art work – who is that dark haired lady in both pictures and is there a story to tell? Go on you know you want too!!!!!
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Wow, your illustrations are GOOD! There is plenty of time – I barely touched a paintbrush until the kids were grown, and now I get to paint almost every day and get quite a lot of work out of it. I wanted Donny as well but now I find the fact he has not aged in all this time a bit creepy….
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Lovely pictures. And great stories. I love the way people surprise you with other aspects of their lives. There is so much more to all of us.
Running down the corridor nekkid!!! you’re a braver girl than I ever was!
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this is such a great post – all sorts of hidden secrets! the tree is awesome and I wonder if that self portrait includes the photographer? did you do it from life or memory?
I’m quite a bit older than you so scorned the Donny Osmond thing, but you would have been no good as Mrs D.O. – you wouldn’t have been our little cotton rabbit!
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Who knew your talents reached far beyond Little Cotton Rabbits!
Of course by talents I meant streaking!
I favored The Hardy Boys. Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevensen…ahhhhhh.
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JULIE!!! I am in shock, and never had you down as a streaker!!
Lovely illustrations..one day you will be living in the country, tending your allotment and painting in a little studio at the bottom of your garden having made your fortune by finally selling your exquisite toy patterns for a million!
I never did have a crush on Mr Osmond (for me it was one of the bay city rollers I hate to confess)but did name my guniea pig Donny after him when I was 7 !!
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You know I have never read The Waterbabies although it was read to me when I was very young.I must fix that. Loved reading about your lurid past.
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Aha, I had a sneaking suspicion that underneath those cute cotton rabbits there was racey lass …. and this post just confirms it!
Your paintings are fabulous! (as is the picture of you in a tree)
…. that last one …. is it you and your photographer??
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That was a lovely trip down memory lane, thank you for sharing.
I do like your tree costume, it reminded me of the time my mother designed me a “don’t rubbish Australia queen” costume. It was an ‘anti-beauty-queen’ thing made with a long gown and rubbish pinned all over it and a brown paper bag crown. I don’t know what my mother was thinking, I won … but really?!!
Have a wonderful weekend Julie
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How spooky. My little brother and I both won a fancy dress competition dressed as trees. Guess when – ‘Plant a tree in 73’. I was nine and he was seven.
Also I too had designs apon becoming Mrs Donny Osmond and as I am your senior, would have been first in the queue!
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Ooh more wonderful talents you have hidden from us. The drawings are absolutely fantastic. You must feel very proud of them.
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Wonderful paintings. But, I agree about the state of ‘flow’ needed to achieve the ‘real’ creativity. I was only talking last night to Tony about how frustrated I was about never getting anything done… I miss just having an idea and running with it until it is done and then falling into bed exhausted, but exquisitely happy. One day…meanwhile thank heavens for knitting!
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You dark horse – can’t believe your illustrations! Worryingly, I am less surprised by the tales of nudity… how very odd.
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Love your painting! Sorry I missed your gentle nudity.
And….isn’t Donny aging well?
🙂
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who could be offended by your lovely painting? ( it still showed up on bloglines)
You are indeed a talented rabbit knitter!I’d love to be able to paint but what’s I see in my head never comes out right through my hand so I stick to sewing.
And streaking, I didn’t think of you as an Erica Wroe!
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Hey, fabulous artwork! 🙂
I remember plant a tree in ’73, we had posters al over the village, some circular green logo with (of course) a tree in the middle. Happy days. That is an inspired fancy dress costume!
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We really must be around the same age…I to thought I would be a Mrs Osmond!!!
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Now I am worried;-) Crispin is nude , he only wears a sweater;-))) You make fab paintings!
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Julie, I read your blog regularly and love every entry. You little piggy is darling, especially her tail!
I’m sure your pictures were all tasteful too. It’s funny how some people can be..I’m inclined to bet that any complaints were from some of my fellow Americans:) You know that several years ago our state department spend $8,000 to have a drape installed over a statue of freedom who was naked from the waist up, so the secretary of state wouldn’t have to be photographed in front of a naked statue. (LOL)
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Thanks for sharing Julie– how fun that as adults we can share in humor(donny) what we’d cringe about as teens! I loved tall Mike from the Monkeys!
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Great tree costume Julie. I vividly remember ‘plant a tree in ’73’ as my Dad was a horticultural officer for Birmingham City Council and we seemed to live and breath tree planting that year. Our headmaster even called us the ‘Tree Browns’ (Brown being my maiden name) – it haunted me for years so thanks for bringing it back!! Serves me right for tagging you!
Sorry I missed the nudey bits – story of my life 😉
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I missed your other picture too, I’m sure it really wasn’t the least offensive or I don’t believe you would have posted it. It’s your log and you should post whatever you feel suits your own personal level of censorship, if people don’t like it they don’t have to look.
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Oh what a shame …. I came back to show my two daughters and my hubby your amazing illustrations and one of them has gone!
I’m astounded that anyone could take offence at your sketch …. after all, we all look the same under our clothes …. well, would that I looked like the female in your painting 😉
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oh fiddlesticks to decency – it was a perfectly lovely painting – full of life and passion and I loved it – just as much as I love the rabbits – and it showed us a bit more of your talents – which I suspect are many and varied – blogs are the weirdest things for only showing the bits people want to see – shock us again Julie!!
XXXXX
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julie, i’m afraid you were in line behind me for the hand in marriage of the mormon prince! i met him last year when we were in new york. he was doing a morning interveiw for nbc where we had breakfast every morning. i was a blithering wreck but my sweet husband took a photo of donny with his arm around me – sad, so sad!
your illustration is wonderful. and glad to hear i’m not the only slacker when tagged!
hope the festive season is going well for you!
xxx
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Ooohh the things your find out about people ~ Streaking! My goodness, what a giggle!
I absolutely love your painting, you are very talented, I just wish that I had been able to see your nude.
My husband is an artist and has some nude commissions on the go at the mo and so I for one definately wouldn’t be offended by it!
I think I may start a petition to bring it back!!! Tee hee!
Love Alison x
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Bring back the nude! Bring back the nude!
It was gorgeous, romantic, beautiful and tastefully done!
Very reminiscent of my favorite artist of all time…Gustav Klimt.
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ahhh, Donny Osmond. I was determined to marry Scott Baio of Happy Days. I was convinced that by the time I reached the age of about 20, the 11 year difference wouldn’t matter. sigh
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I love the pic of you in the tree costume. I was kind of little to be in love with Donny Osmond, but I kind of remember Donny and Marie a bit. I’d never have been brave enough to either streak or pose nude. I’ve always been a painter and sketcher, but since having kids I never do either for just about the same reason you said– once I start I need to finish. Your painting is wonderful, you are very talented.
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Oh I remember the Donny Osmond days. I can’t remember wanting to be his wife but I did want to be in their family. Your art is lovely. I love painting as well and haven’t done it in so long as the children are so young and once I start I find it difficult to leave as well. I keep telling myself that “one day I’ll get back to it…”
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Just wanted to let you know that I think your work is wonderful. Such a girl after my own heart – lovely animals – lovely kids (very astute of your little boy to get a hostage – seems a perfectly reasonable thing to do!!!hehehe) and such a wonderful blog to read.
Thanks for sharing.
Trish – Australia
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You are a lady of not so hidden talents! I’m too late visiting to see the nude photograph, but I’m sure that you would never do anything to cause offence.
Marie x
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wow you’re good at painting!!
And thanks for sharing this. Very interesting meme.
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Just been to flickr to see ‘the offending article’ … it is shocking … shockingly beautiful.
Perhaps who ever complained would appreciate one of my home made xmas cards I made about 10 years ago … black paper, painted my nipple green and the rest of my boob purple, then made lots of prints … inside it said ‘Merry Christmas & All the Breast for the New Year’ … even my Mum loved hers and put it up on her notice board in the kitchen!
One of my favourite all time lines in a film is hilarious, performed magically by Jeremy Irons in the film ‘Stealing Beauty’… people are having a ball skinny dipping in the pool under the Tuscan sun and he says in digust ‘uh, nudity, its soooo unnatural’ … Hilarious!
But it back up I say. Its art. The title even said ‘nudity’ so why on earth look if one thinks they will be offended!
ps I have a B&W photo of my naked pregnant tummy and boobs, with my hubbies hands around my belly, clasping my hands. Love it.
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Just been to flickr to see ‘the offending article’ … it is shocking … shockingly beautiful.
Perhaps who ever complained would appreciate one of my home made xmas cards I made about 10 years ago … black paper, painted my nipple green and the rest of my boob purple, then made lots of prints … inside it said ‘Merry Christmas & All the Breast for the New Year’ … even my Mum loved hers and put it up on her notice board in the kitchen!
One of my favourite all time lines in a film is hilarious, performed magically by Jeremy Irons in the film ‘Stealing Beauty’… people are having a ball skinny dipping in the pool under the Tuscan sun and he says in digust ‘uh, nudity, its soooo unnatural’ … Hilarious!
But it back up I say. Its art. The title even said ‘nudity’ so why on earth look if one thinks they will be offended!
ps I have a B&W photo of my naked pregnant tummy and boobs, with my hubbies hands around my belly, clasping my hands. Love it.
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