Opher’s Art – The psychedelic nose!

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I told my grandson Nathan that my nose is the most intelligent part of my body. My nose knows. It always leads the way and I have no option but to follow.

For some reason he was skeptical. He doesn’t always believe me.

My own nose is perfectly in proportion to my body if I happened to have a body that was twice as big. I just needed to live in Rome a couple of thousand years ago and I would have been considered an aristocrat.

This study of a nose in orange is straight out of 1973.

I put all my paintings and ramblings together in my Art and Outpourings book. Available on Amazon.

A better day starts!!

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The cold, dank drizzle has stopped!

I got up this morning to find the toilet wasn’t blocked and the central heating was on. I turned the lights on and a bulb did not blow! The electricity stayed on!

On the down side I did have a bit of a hangover from last night’s shiraz (we had friends round)!  My ribs are very sore and my computer is still buried in treacle. I still cannot open emails or do any pictures or documents. I can type though. I can do some things on WordPress – but it is severely cramping my style.

All in all – a mixed day (so far).

I’ve got big hopes for tonight! We have a Blues night with friends! That should ROCK!!!

So Good Morning everybody! Here’s to a better day!

Opher’s Art – A worried Psychedelic Face – Quite disturbing.

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AppleMark

This was another of my 1973 masterpieces. There was a guy down our road who looked just like this! I merely painted him true to his appearance.

Opher Goodwin – The man who holds distinction in the Cubs, Scouts and Army Cadets.

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The distinction I am referring to is that I was distinctly thrown out of all three organisations after only a short sojourn in each institution.

I was thrown out of the Cubs for being too boisterous.

I was thrown out of the Scouts for being too boisterous. (I’m beginning to see a pattern – my big sister says I suffered from ADHD – she’s biased though! I was merely enthusiastic!)

I was thrown out of the Army Cadets for – as the Sergeant Major bellowed ion my ear – ‘Are you growing a Busby Goodwin? We’re not in the Guards! Or are you trying to grow your own Greatcoat?’

Deaf in one ear – I left. You see – I wasn’t thrown out for being too boisterous – I was too unkempt that time. The pattern was broken!

I had an aversion to institutions, uniforms, compliance with regulations and fitting in. Fortunately I am now a different man! I can’t prove that because there aren’t any institutions that will have me!

Opher Goodwin in Performance!! A chance to catch Opher in action in full Psychedelic Technicolour! He will perform in front of crowds! What a show Opener!

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Once and once only!!! Opher on stage!!!
As you can see – I am the opener – setting the scene for the delights to come!!
Be there or be round!
I’ve been told to keep my Turnaround tidy! That’ll be a first! I’ve never been tidy in my life!! I’ll keep my turnaround untidy but crisp! That should do it.
Hi Opher,

We’re getting ready for the HullSongs Launch Celebration at Kardomah 94 on Friday 27th November.  Please can you arrive at 7 pm. We’re looking forward to you telling your story. Doors are at 7 pm and the music will start at 7.45 prompt. It’s a full programme so we need to make sure turnarounds are tidy.

The evening will be similar to our usual Loudhailer Acoustic, but with a programmed running order and a PA. Kardomah is a lovely venue. We will set it out with cabaret style tables and the project exhibition will be on display before it moves to the Central Library for December.

Entry is free, but you can book a ticket here. Please invite your friends and family and encourage them to do the same. There is a Facebook Event here and here is the HullSongs website http://hullsongs.net/

The running order, flyer and press info is below fyi. Do not hesitate to get in touch if there is anything you would like to know, otherwise, see you then. We are really looking forward to it!

Rich & Lou

Rich and Lou open the show

Opher

Graham Brady

Vivian Querido

Jim Orwin

Karl Oakes

Alyx Tamminen

Jeff Parsons

Catherine Scott

Katie Spencer

Graham Graham Beck

Redeye and Crew

Press Feature

A host of songwriters will perform songs telling stories about Hull for the first time at HullSongs launch night at Kardomah 94 on Friday November 27th.  The celebratory public event includes the opening of the HullSongs exhibition which can be previewed before moving to Hull Central Library during December.

HullSongs showcases a selection of songs and stories linked to Hull. It includes a dedicated website featuring songs, spoken word, narrative and poems, illustrated by photographs, lyrics and portraits.

Project organisers Rich and Lou Duffy-Howard:

“Some of the pieces are nostalgic, some personal and poignant, and some are very funny. There are tales from all over Hull – Gypsyville, Longhill, Hessle Road, the River Hull itself. The Orchard Park high rise angels, old record shops of Hull, and even Bun in the Oven by the old bus station get a mention.”

“Our inspiration for the HullSongs came from people who have performed at our Loudhailer Acoustic nights at various venues in the area. We have a fabulous range of quality song writing from a real eclectic mix of performers. Some of the amazing songs about Hull are from people who don’t regularly perform anywhere else and Untold Stories gives them the opportunity to be heard.”

HullSongs is part of the James Reckitt Library Trust/Art for Hull Untold Stories project which is building an archive of stories about the city, whether oral, written, pub sagas, tall tales, misunderstandings, mythologies and even downright mistruths. It is part of Art for Hull, Hull’s Creative People and Places project funded by Arts Council England and the James Reckitt Library Trust.

Jessica Leathley, Untold Stories project manager said, “We are delighted to have Rich and Lou on board. HullSongs brings a wonderful new dimension to oral history, telling stories through music and poetry. The launch night on 27th November will be a marvellous opportunity to experience these stories first-hand.”

Woody Guthrie – Mean Talking Blues – Lyrics and rambling!

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I’m having a bad day. I’m feeling frustrated, disgruntled, miserable and down

I got up this morning and the central heating was off. The house was freezing. I switched on the lights and a bulb blew and flicked the electrics. The toilet was blocked. My computer is not functioning properly. The internet is a snails pace. I can’t open emails or big documents. I can’t write. I’m too grouchy and annoyed. Nobody has bought any of my books today. I have three books to correct and I can’t download them. I’m fed up!

Well I unblocked the loo, changed the bulb and did the electrics and got the central heating going.

Doesn’t make a jot of difference. I’m still down.

So I went and sorted a Woody Guthrie song that fitted my mood. Woody Guthrie is a master poet/songwriter and I love him. He has a song for every occasion. This song is about the meanest guy that ever lived. I figured that this guy must have been around messing up my life. What d’ya think?

Mean Talking Blues Lyrics
“Mean Talking Blues” was written by Woody Guthrie.
I’m the meanest man that ever had a brain
All I scatter is aches and pains
I’m carbolic acid and a poison face
And I stand flat-footed in favor of crime and disgrace
If I ever done a good deed, I’m sorry of it

I’m mean in the East, mean in the West
Mean to the people that I like the best
I go around a-causin’ lot of accidents
And I push folks down and I cause train wrecks
I’m a big disaster, just goin’ somewhere’s to happen
I’m an organized famine studyin’, now I can be a little bit meaner
I’m still a whole lot too good to suit myself, just mean

I ride around on the subway trains
Laughin’ at the tight shoes dealin’ you pain
And I laugh when the car shakes from side to side
I laugh my loudest when other people cry
Can’t help it, I was born good, I guess
Just like you or anybody else
But then I just turned off mean

I hate ev’rybody don’t think like me
And I’d rather see you dead than I’d ever see you free
Rather see you starved to death than see you at work
And I’m readin’ all the books I can to learn how to hurt
Daily misery, spread diseases, keep you without no vote
Keep you without no union

Well, I hurt when I see you gettin’ ‘long so well
I’d ten times rather see you in the fires of hell
I can’t stand to fixed
See you there all fixed up in that house so nice
I’d rather keep you in that rotten hole with the bugs and the lice
And the roaches and the termites
And the sand fleas and the tater bugs

And the grub worms and the stingaree’s
And the tarantulas, and the spiders, childs of the earth
The ticks and the blow-flies, these is all of my little angels
That go ’round helpin’ me do the best parts of my meanness
And mosquiter’s

Well, I used to be a pretty fair organized feller
Till I turned a scab and then I turned off yeller
Fought ev’ry union with teeth and toenail
And I sprouted a six-inch stinger right in the middle of the tail
And I growed horns
And then I cut ’em off, I wanted to fool you
I hated union ever’where, ’cause God likes unions and I hate God

Well, if I can get the fat to hatin’ the lean
That’d tickle me more than anything I’ve seen
Then get the colors to fightin’ one another
And friend against friend, and brother and sister against brother
That’ll be just it

Everybody’s brains a-boilin’ in turpentine
And their teeth fallin’ out all up and down the streets
That’ll just suit me fine
‘Cause I hate ever’thing that’s union
And I hate ever’thing that’s organized
And I hate ever’thing that’s planned
And I love to hate and I hate to love
I’m mean, I’m just mean

 

Hope I don’t get like that. Mean people aren’t born; they are made. Life warps them. Our job is to give ’em a smile and a helping hand. What those fascists and fundamentalists need are cuddles.

My grandson Nathan invented a love-gun that turned baddies into goodies.

Today I wished he’d developed a happy gun that turned miseries into ecstasies and fixed all your problems. Wouldn’t that be great.

 

Left holding the baby in a psychedelic universe.

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AppleMark

As the energy swirls around us, through us, over us and there are no barriers, we are left obliviously living our lives.

Life is beautiful!

This is another of my paintings from around 1973.

I put them together, along with accompanying writing in my book Opher’s Art and Outpourings:

Apologies to all – My router is playing up and I only have very restricted operations on the internet.

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I’m sorry if I am unable to respond to all your likes, comments and posts. I have very limited access to the internet, cannot open emails or documents. It is very frustrating. The engineer won’t be here until Monday. So please bear with me. I’ll do my best!

I’m sorry if I cannot respond! I’ll catch up next week! So please continue posting, liking and commenting. I am receiving them and I really do appreciate you taking the time and putting in the effort.

Thanks – Best wishes – Opher

Anecdote – Disabilities that enable

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AppleMark
AppleMark

Disabilities that enable

At school I used to arrange for various interesting people to come in to talk to the students. Dave was one of the most dynamic.

Dave was in his early thirties and had been paralysed from the waist down due to a back injury from a motorbike accident when he was just twenty one.

He had been a very active man who was very into his sport and mountain climbing. He’d come off his bike at speed and suffered a number of injuries. When he regathered his sensibilities he found he was in a hospital bed and couldn’t feel anything below his waist. The medics carried out a number of x-rays and tests and finally the doctor had informed him that there was nothing they could do. His spinal cord was damaged and he would never recover the use of his legs. He was paraplegic.

Dave told the students that he spiralled down into a deep depression. All that was in his mind was that he would never walk, never run, never play sport and never have sex. Life wasn’t worth living.

In the bed next to him was another young man who had also suffered a spinal injury from a motorbike accident. His had been more severe. He was paralysed from the neck down with only very limited use of his upper limbs. All he could do was move a finger and thumb on one hand.

‘I’m so lucky,’ the guy told Dave.

Dave could not really believe his ears. The guy was paralysed from the neck down and was telling him how lucky he had been.

‘It’s early days for you’, the guy continued. ‘You’ll see. If my break had been a centimetre higher I would have lost the use of my finger and thumb.’

‘Big deal,’ Dave thought.

‘No you don’t understand,’ the guy explained seeing the expression on his face. ‘That finger and thumb give me a life. I can operate a computer. I can use a wheelchair. I’m in control.’

It made Dave think. He had the full use of his arms. Life was a lot easier for him than the other guy. It was a turning point.

When Dave got out of hospital he was determined to do things. He made a list. He wanted to go sky-diving and skiing. Things that he had only thought about before. They told him it wasn’t possible. If he hit the ground without control of his legs he could suffer nasty breaks and injuries. Dave was undeterred. He invented protective devices for his legs and found someone who could take him in tandem sky-diving, skiing, then water-skiing, snorkelling and tobogganing. Whenever there was an obstacle he found a way round it.

He learnt to fly planes and became a pilot.

The kids were inspired by him. He had done so much with his life. He been more places and done more things that any of the able-bodied people they knew. He filled them with his lust for life. They could see that he was determined to make the most of what he had.

The last time I saw Dave he was heading off to the USA. He had enrolled on a helicopter pilot’s course. He was going to fly helicopters and there was only one place in the world that ran courses for disabled people like Dave.

Dave left us all with the words careering through our minds that his injury had not disabled him; it had enabled him. It had made him realise that the major obstacle that prevented us from doing things was ourselves. Dave said that it turned his button from ‘maybe sometime’ to ‘GO’.

Life was for living. You had to maximise your experience, not be put off by the obstacles and not allow your own lethargy or fear to hold you back.

I think he was the most inspiring, full of life, person I have ever met.

My Art – A psychedelic painting of my young lady and myself circa 1973.

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For some reason my good lady did not think I had quite captured her likeness.. I don’t know. I thought I’d ensnared a bit of the essence. I was more concerned about whether I’d done justice to myself.