Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Mysteries of Internet: my page arose from ashes!!!

I don't know how it happened, but my paintings are back on line!!!


Welcome Lena's Gallery

Here is a painting of Cyprus tree in a middle of Cadiz in Spain. It had a lot of space and time to grow.


Painted about 2004 ?

Anonimus commented:


Great! I love the Giant buttress roots. I am in Cadiz right now and I have been seeing them around. Only its not a Cypress its a Tropical Fig or "Rubber Tree" (because its was tapped to create rubber) called Ficus Elasitca.
3 January 2011 19:14
I wonder who he/she is? In Malaga's Picasso's Garden there are few of them and it said there Cyprisses!!! They grow side-ways if there is no competition!!! 

Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Ashes of my web page - Welcome to Lenas Gallery!!!

Rosie created it in 1998. I updated it in 2004. Disconnected it about 2006? Now Easynet deleted the pictures from their computer? Nothing lives forever!!!

I always loved paintings and painters.

Looking at live paintings and prints of them I saw the difference - the real thing looks different every time you look at it but the print is the same all the time.
After Bosch One  (1986) Oil on Canvas 20 x 16" £500
 The Last Tree (1997) Oil on Canvas 20 x 16" £400
As I could not afford the real things I decided to paint some, my first attempts were free copies of bits of Dali's paintings.

I discovered that I love doing it and the smell of turpentine and oil paints. It became an addiction, you could say, and my therapy, for if I felt down, if I started a new picture I became happy again. 

Maybe it was the smell and fumes of materials.

Then I found that others liked the results of my addiction - this was another kick!!! I had an exhibition in Stockholm in 1993 and in a Polish restaurant in London.

I hope you enjoy browsing through my page.

Sunday, 21 November 2010

My mama’s multicoloured dress and 'snow peas' music


My mama’s multicoloured dress

My sole memory of colours from Russia is mama’s dress in which she came from Poland. In it were all the rainbow colours, it shimmered in the sun like a magic dress of a princess. The material was heavenly soft in touch, I loved to hold on to mama’s  legs and rub my cheek on the material. It was the only summer dress she had, so she was wearing and washing it all the time, three summers! It became thorn thinned out in many places. But there was enough for a little dress for me!
Few days mama measured me and the dress, cutting and sawing. We had a sawing machine in this one room we all lived in. Two beds, a cradle for my brother, stove, table, three chairs, little cupboard, and a sawing machine – old model with a wheel and a pedal. Unsurprisingly I preferred to play outside. And all the other children from the block with identical rooms.
Finally the dress was ready, I put on this colourful wonder.  I obviously wanted to go out and show it off to my friends.  I was walking around proudly and happy. Suddenly all the children started running away from me and shouting: Tar! Tar!  I forgot about the dress. Bringing tar is a great happening. They pour it into a big square trench, to paint the roofs for the autumn and winter. While it runs from the truck into the hole, it splashes bits. If you collect the bits before they solidify and put them in your mouth still warm, chew them – you make an excellent chewing gum!!! You can keep it for few days in the chewable state.
I got a lot of gum, I am very happy. And then I looked down on my dress. It is dotted by little tar spots. I am in despair. My lovely dress no more! I am afraid to go home. I am going there late, only after mama calls me. She said nothing. She knows  the ruined dress is punishment enough. I cry all evening. Mama consoles me: When we come back to Warsaw I will buy you a prettier one. But I was sobbing desperately.  Because my dress died.
P.S. I remember the first dress my mum bought for herself in Poland after our return. It was full of flowers in all colours of the rainbow.  

Saturday, 20 November 2010

My friend Krzysiu jamming with his sons!!! And my painting now.

 
Bonny and Clyde theme. 


I have known Krzysiek for ever... Last time we met in the flesh was 1973. I remember he adjusted the door to my sitting room - it did not close because of a new fitted carpet. After all he was an engineering graduate!!!
The door is still fine, after nearly 40 years.
Then we lived our lives separately for ages. About 5 years ago we met in cyberspace, exchanging pictures, music, jokes. and thoughts about life and universe. If a week passes without his email, I definitely miss him!!!




My favourite pieces of music

I found a way to combine my music with pictures?


Caprichio 24, Paganini



Rossini, Figaro

Friday, 12 November 2010

My earliest memories written in English for Yvette


Memories of a child Lena(above my parents, before I was born)

My father’s tale

This was retold often by my Father: I am running with Lena in my arms on the bridge, to the right bank of Vistula, where there are no Germans yet, bombs are falling around us, luckily in the water. And she is laughing all the time – thinking that we are playing. It was September 1939, after her 3d birthday.

I am laying on the grass, on my back, June 1941

I am laying on the grass, on my back, with other children, we look straight up into the blue sky. We play a guessing game: planes or birds. I am on summer campus near Minsk (we lived in Minsk for nearly 2 years). Suddenly Mama and Dad appear, looming above me. They pull me of the ground. We get on a truck. I am very angry. I liked it there, the grass and trees. We are driving on a very bumpy road. I look up all the time, trying to guess: a plane or a bird high there? Now I know, they were all planes, birds don’t fly so high.

Bomb shelter, Minsk June 1941

The town is burning. We are going down into the shelter, in a long queue. It is in basement of a hospital, because I see lots of people in white coats. I am bored. I stuck some piece of paper up my nose. I cannot get it out. I start to cry. Luckily laryngology is in the basement. Even now I see in my mind a man in white long thing, with a round mirror on his head. He got the paper from my little nose and showed it to me. This apparition was scaring me in my dreams for a long time.

Forrest somewhere in Russa, July 1941

Dad went away, on a pick up truck to enlist. We are alone, me, Mama and her belly, where my little brother or sister is – that is what they told me. But soon we are on an open truck as well. A long trip, through endless forest. The Truck is full of people. At night we sleep under the trees on the grass. It is warm and soft. The smell is better then any other place I have been before. I fall asleep. My mum wakes me up, all are already in the truck. We run to it, but they don’t want us, I understand that, even so I do not know the words. Suddenly Mama is in front of the truck and shouts something. The motor is running and I know it will run over her. I started to howl and pull my mother by the hand back into the forest. But I am weak and she seems to be stuck to the ground. The noise is awful, shouts of people and growl of the truck. Then the end side falls down and the driver throws me between the people, somebody extends the hand to mum. We are inside and moving.

This memory is like cut and edited film strip – edited by my brain? I Should not trust it!!!

Wednesday, 3 November 2010

New tree of life - only what I saw in Ecuador.


This is my second painting on subject of evolution. The tree is so big that it only fits into TV programs by David Attenborough. Whe I feel down I watch repeats of any of his programs. His voice is like good music.






And final version:

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

Brand new member of human race

Tyra was born on 3d December 2009, this video was made on the 4th Jan 2010, at the ripe age of one month!!! I am her great auntie or in Polish ciocia babcia.See how she waves me off? Go away you old woman, give me my lovely mum.

Below is Tyra still 3 weeks old, wearing a babygrow size 0 to 3 months from London given her by me. She is filling it already.

Amonite - going around the painting