THEARTIST IN RESIDENCE 8

 IN THE FOUR SEASONS CAFE WITH ARKLE AND ARKLE'S JOCKEY

Lew, Jay Gatsby, Andy, Flash, Nog and Miffy,.

it is 1968 still..

all the gang are seated on either side of one of the long red banquettes,

Painty has his sketch pad and colour sticks..

he likes to carry these around..

just in case..

he has found a cigarette lighter..

in the street..

a nice Ronson gas Varaflame Comet..

he can press this and light peoples cigarettes..

yes people could smoke in cafes than..

he does not smoke himself..

he just has the lighter..

cool huh?

as an ice breaker..

it works a treat and soon he has many friends and..

an Identity..

he's the lighter guy..

you know the arty dude..

always carries a sketch pad..

PROPS DEPARTMENT

everyone needs a prop..

or a crutch as Dali says..

soon all will get noticed..

Andy says 15 minutes..

more like..

a New York minute..

anyway off with the trousers..

and on with the dress..

MEANWHILE BACK IN 1968

Mark Rothko has not denied this four seasons his murals..

he is still alive and smoking in his studio..

 in New York..

he stares at his great works and wishes..

the artist in residence..

could be there with him..

to light up his cigarettes..

no more dead matchsticks filling the ashtray..

littering the floor..

MEANWHILE

back at the local four..

Lew has brought along a poetry book..

with Lawrence Ferlinghetti..

and sometime during eternity..

some guys show up..

YOU NEVER KNOW YOUR LUCK

anything can happen..

anyone may come..

and hang out here..

guys come in from the local prison..

just out and needing caffein..

everyone is equal..

all are welcome..

careful who you go home with..

LATER DOWN AT THE BRIT

the club scene is really good here in palookaville..

you can see the Ronettes..

Clyde Mc Phatter..

Taste..

some guy is giving the evil eye..

at painty and Flash..

he wants to beat them up..

he is about to throw a punch when he sees Graham..

go over and have a laugh with them..

The big lug gives them both a smile later..

"I didn't know you were friends of Grahams"..

all is good and..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

is still in one piece..

he will live to draw again..

so we beat on..

boats against the current..

P.S.

Arkle was the nick name of a girl..

a face about town..

 Jocky was her friend..

 always in tow..

in palookaville..

everything's a scream.. 

innit..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 7

 IN THE KARDOMAH WITH FLASH AND LIZ

it's 1968 and after school..

a young artist has made new friends..

since being taken up by Flash..

Liz and Julie and their crowd..

are putting the world to rights in the Kardomah cafe..

another up market joint..

Petey paint is happy here with these popular people..

he will hanker after these moments all of his life..

girls are noticing him..

and they like what they see..

this gang are all with him at the Saturday night parties...

that best of the year 11 experience..

he has a trendy haircut..

short but perfectly formed..

and new clothes..

some parallel trousers that..

Docile and Bruin helped him buy..

BTW

Docile was actually a rocker I believe..

he was a tough guy..

 meanwhile..

 back at the Kardomah..

Liz is radiant and painty is attracted to her..

a lot..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 6

 IN THE CONA BAR WITH DOCILE AND BRUIN

It is 1967 or 8..

our boy is coming of age..

he is 'in town' in Griffin and Spalding a department store..

he is with friends from school..

nick names only..

Docile is Stones but Bruin is Beatles..

they are 'Mods'..

of a kind..

not the Parker and scooter and soul kind..

these guys have

back combed hair and flares..

they also listen to..

Incredible String Band, Spook tooth, Ten Years After..

They are townies where our boy is strictly Burbs..

he is doing 'O' level Art at school..

this is probably an after school thing..

before going home..

on a bus..

NO KEDS YET

our boy is only 15..

these guys are 16..

as is nearly every one in his school year..

Docile and Bruin read 'Oz'

and like underground stuff..

they are aesthetes of a sort..

and so we are in The Cona Bar..

not

THE FOUR SEASONS

where all the proper mods and townies sit..

where a cup of coffee is 8 old pennies..

around 60 cups for £1..

3 cups for two shillings..

that's ten pence in New Money..

about 24 cups of Joe for a $1..

at that time..

here in the Cona Bar..

all are drinking Russian Tea..

tea with no milk in a glass with a slice of lemon..

they are Uptown Top Ranking..

THE PHONE NEVER RINGS BUT IT POURS

nobody needs to wear noise cancelling headphones..

as there are no mobile (cell) phones..

no laptops, no idiot videos for juniors..

who cannot sit at table properly..

here in The Cona Bar..

silence or just a gentle hum of real conversations..

our boy is just a junior partner in this meet..

is is hopelessly out cooled by these guys..

yet he is here..

just as one day he will be an artist..

he is expecting to fly..

and is still but a fledgeling..

but he is both..

Four Seasoned and Cona Barred..

and will struggle to take off..

not an early pick for the team..

he would only have become arrogant..

anyway.. probably..

there are many stories in the tale of..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

will he succeed?

or snatch defeat from the jaws of victory/

can the boy from the Burbs..

be the golden boy..

or has the boy with the glasses..

blond mop and gold lame jacket..

left only muddy waters..

and the blues?

WATCH THIS SPACE

the sugar paper of the Art Class..

will become..

the large canvas of..

THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

see it all unfold..

in precious technicolor..