SEPTEMBER 3rd 1978, We became Parents

These pictures were taken last week of outside the Hospital where Susan had our Son,
and the middle picture is the actual room where they both were for the Birth, the
Hospital is now closed!

I remember things were going well at work and Susan was doing fine (pregnancy wise) it was now exactly 6 weeks after we got Married, we went to bed that night on the 2nd September 1978 and everything was O.K, Then about 3 am on that Sunday Morning, Susan’s water’s broke!

I thought Susan had too much too drink the night before! lol

Anyway the Ambulance was’nt called until about 7am the next morning, and by about 8am, we were off to the Hospital.

I was told after about an Hour or so, to go off to work as nothing would be happening for “Hours yet”

At about 11.30 am I was getting ready for Sunday Lunch at Work, when a Phone call came through for me to get to the Hospital as things were about to happen!

As I went to the Hospital with Susan earlier that day in the ambulance, I didnt have my Bike with me, so I had to get to the Hospital somehow!

Luckily there was a Bus that ran all the way from my Work to the Hospital, I can remember to this day the funny feeling of fear I had all the way there , which was about 3 miles away, in total!

I finally got to the Hospital about 12.30pm, I remember both of us being “very nervous” as we were both still teenager’s ourselves, and back then in 1978, we were classed as “too young to have Kids”

Anyway after hours of waiting and tension in Susan’s room and the waiting room, things were about to happen! (I remember there was 2 other blokes in the waiting room, and both of them looked older enough to be my father!).

I had to wear a big white coat and green trouser’s in the Delivery Room, and I also remember the Doctor had big White Wellington Boots on, and after speaking to Susan while writing this Post up, she reminded me that I had a pair of the big White Welly’s on as well!
I cant remember there being too much Mud about in the Delivery Room!

After which seemed an eternity of pushing, shoving and sweating bucket loads for both of us, at 15.55pm on Sunday 3rd September 1978, our Son was BORN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a relief! that was probably the first time in public I cried!

But Problems were on the horizon for me and susan concerning our New Baby.

THE GREATEST SOUL SINGER OF ALL TIME……… AL GREEN…….. part 2

From 1976 to 1981 Al Green had released another 6 Albums for Hi Records, although the last 2 were recorded for Hi , they were released by “Myrrh” a subsidiary of a Christian Record Company called “Word Records“

Full of fire 1976
Have a good time 1976
Belle 1977
Truth “n” time 1978
The lord will make a way 1980
Higher plane 1981

Al Green had always included at least 1 track dedicated to “The Lord” on all most of his Albums, but for the last 2 Albums featured here, He went all the the way, and these 2 Albums were full of Gospel Tracks!

The reason Al Green gave why he finally went all the way into Gospel from Soul Music, was during a concert in 1979, he fell 12 feet from a Concert stage and spent several weeks in Hospital, he saw this as “The Lord” pushing him all the way into “Gospel”

Incidentally (apart from his 1st ever release) his First full Gospel Album “The lord will make a way” was Al Green’s First Album not to Chart in USA, in either “Pop” or R&B Charts!

I have selected my Favorite Track from each of the Albums here,
Download Track to listen!

Something from “Have a good time”
To sir with love from “Truth n time”
Always from “Full of Fire”
Belle from “The Belle Album”
Where love rules from “Higher Plane”
The Lord will make a way from “The Lord will make a way”

NEW BACKGROUND

Well after a week of looking at my painting I decided I was not happy with the background, so before I went any further with it I changed the colour which I think looks a lot better, I do not believe you can make any mistake when you use use oil paint as you can change or go over any mistakes you have made previously.

You do have to wait until the oil paint is completely dried before you try and go over any painting you want to change, mine took about 5 days, i started by using linseed oil to help the paint move more freely where i wanted the changes to be made. I then used Violet, Ultramarine,and Phthalo Blue, dotted into the corners, then added zink white along the bottom and sides, then it’s just a matter of blending all the colours together working from the outsides into the middle, I made sure not to go over the face I had already painted.

When I was happy with the colour I used a tiny amount of linseed oil mixed with the Zink White to make the paint thinner I dipped just the end of the paintbrush into the paint. Next moving from the furthest end of the brush and using an inward motion i ran the spatula over the bristles to make a spray of white on to the background to give a starry spacey night look to it.

I am not sure if by this time next week it will be a different background so we will have to wait and see.!

END OF SUMMERTIME 1978!

These pictures were taken around late 1977 or
early 1978!

By about August of 1978, we had been offered a move to Susan’s Nanny’s house at the opposite end of Town to where we had been living at my Nanny’s! We jumped at the chance, as Susan was about 1 month away from having the baby!

I also worked at the opposite end of Town from where we were living, so to get to work I had to cycle right along the length of the Seafront, what was about 2/3 miles distance, and at that period of time I was working Split Shifts all the time, I believe it was 10 till 2 during the day and back at night 5.30 till 9.30 , this compared to most Hotels at that time, was an early finish at Night!

I always remember during the day I could cycle along the seafront, but at night time it was a different matter! with the Seafront area packed with people, I forget how many times somebody (a Lout in a gang) would throw something at me or try to push me off the bike! so the ride home was through to Town Centre, and that was nearly as bad, passing the Pubs etc, but most nights I was with one of the other Chefs, so when you were in pairs, mostly I got home without any bother!

Our Home Life at Susan’s Nanny’s was’nt very good! We always had the feeling of “them going through our belongings when we were out”

Anyway everything in our Life was about to change again, but this time forever!

HOW I START A OIL PAINTING

First I cover the canvas in linseed oil, this helps the paint to move more freely.I paint the whole canvas white, Next step is the start of the background, I used Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue, Phthalo Blue, and Ultramarine Blue. The blue paints are just dotted in the corners then dragged into the middle of the canvas, Next the clouds this is done by dotting the paint around the edges and blended into the center. Now for the face. I used Burnt Umber,Yellow Orche,Magenta, Flesh Tint,Crimson,Cobalt Blue, and Zinc White, These make up my skin tones.

The first layer of the skin colour applied is Yellow Orche and white, The second layer consists of Yellow Orche,Burnt Umber,and White,this is blended into make a darker tone.The third layer consists of Yellow Orche,Burnt Umber,White, Flesh Tint, and Crimson red, this is blended in using different brush strokes to help make the face stand out in the picture. Next step i did was to add more Burnt Umber and start adding the facial features. When I get to this stage I usually end up with a different face than I planned doing when i started.In the next post i will add more layers and details to the face and background.

AL GREEN IS BLUES ALBUM ## 40th ANNIVERSARY ALBUM RE-ISSUE

Monday 13th July is the 40th Anniversary of the Al Green Album “AL GREEN IS BLUES“
It was his First Album on HI with Producer Willie Mitchell. This was Al Green’s Second Album Release, see my previous Post on Al Green part 1, for this and all other Album details!

I have found a Great Website Celebrating the Albums re-release, it has plenty of info on the new Album Release, plus info on several other AG Albums, also theres a In depth History of AG,and a Competition!

Check out the Full Album below, if you go to the Website you can download a Widget of the Full Album for yourself!

PANIC and KICKED OUT!

Exactly a week after we got Married, I was at work and a Phone Call came through, Susan had been rushed to the Hospital, the Baby was on its way!

After several hours at the Hospital, the Doctor said it was a false alarm, and nothing was going to happen now, “Thank God for that”, we thought!

We were still at my Nanny’s House, this I’m afraid was’nt going to last much longer, as my Nanny’s Brother stuck his Nose in, saying we were using Her, she told us what he had said, I can’t really remember the ins and outs of the Situation, but in the end we had to move out!

This has it turned out , was the only time in my Life I had any bad feeling’s towards my Nanny, she was always Great to me and Susan, this incident I fully blamed on her Brother and his Big Snout and Mouth! (yes we were bitter towards him! and never spoke to him again)

Anyway my Nanny Passed away in 1989, and to this day we still now and again take Flowers to her Grave!

So once again we were Homeless and not having a Car anymore, we had to walk everywhere, and by now Susan had about 2 Months to having our Baby!

OIL PAINTINGS

Another passion of mine is painting, as I have already covered a small part on chakras, meditation, and yoga, I thought I would do a post on how I create an oil painting from start to finish, covering the colour of the oils I use and step by step illustration of the brush strokes I use etc ! plus the mistakes I make along the way .!

I am self taught so dont know all the correct wordings I should be using so will go through it my own way, I just hope you can understand me ! An oil painting will usually take me about a week to week and a half from start to finish, sometimes a bit longer.I will put some photo’s of previous paintings I have painted a bit later.

I always play new age or relaxing music when I paint so I will also be putting a selection of the music on my blog as well.

I prefer to use canvas as I think the finished result looks a lot nicer.I have tried using board and paper sheets which look like canvas but didn’t find them good to use as the paper had a tendency to curl or wave when the thinner was applied. With the hard board iIfound the paint moved around to much and seemed to blend into each colour used.

The heading picture is one of my oil paintings i painted a coupls of years ago.