Painting, Songwriting and Poetry
These are oil paintings and oil pastels I made of Cheri. I bumped into her in a bar in Whitechapel and we became friends. She was an American living in Romford Street, Whitechapel, east London. Also an artist, we put up an shared exhibition in her flat and everyone came. She of course had a siamese cat.
She once insisted that I spell her name right. It’s not Sherry, or Cherry but Cheri.
To explain. I began with an idea of making a clay head from one of Vincent Van Gogh’s portraits. But then it seemed to develop a life of its own. I added a cloth and a wooden crate as a pedestal than I made a series of drawings from the sculpture because the sculpture was so vulnerable to destruction.
Made by drawing experimental criss crossing curvy lines and then looking for things. This became “White dove of peace; lord of the jungle”
Poet Monkey:
The white dove of peace is King of the jungle
High in the canopy she judges the beasts.
Narrator:
The white dove of peace can call herself a king if she so desires and who can change her mind. I am down in the jungle and it is teeming with wild beasts. The white dove of peace sits high above us all spreading her wings and singing.
Poet Monkey:
The bad dreams have ended but my legs are still asleep
I need to be comforted by the white dove of peace.
Narrator:
One beast is suffering from nightmares and on waking up feels paralyzed. So, he calls to the white dove of peace for help. She sings to him and drives the terrors out of his heart.
This became, “Prehistoric man with a herd of animals”
This though was “A home for super hero’s”.
There are two studies I made for a painting of Ethiopian refugees of the 1980 period. The painting was brought by a friend who took it with him when he returned to live in West Africa. These are all I have left of the project.
Love Rings Twice on sib 6_3 – Full Score
Please click to see a PDF of the song
Lyrics to Love Rings Twice
1.
Love rings twice and the sky turns blue
The birds start singing and the sun shines through.
2.
Love rings twice and rainbows appear
The oceans rest and the mists disappear.
3.
Love rings twice gives you time to rise
Gives you butterflies and fire in your eyes.
4.
Love rings twice and the cactus buds
The horizon glows and it all turns to love.
Chorus
When love has lost it’s eaning, well I lose my meaning too
What I mean is there’s no meaning, no meaning without loveing you
