I'm POPEYE The Sailor Man

WHO ARE YOU?

When I was young there was a popular cartoon on TV called Popeye. Olive oil and Brutus were his side kicks. I hated Brutus for his smarmy ways and thought Olive was a complete twat and totally pathetic with her "HELP, HELP, SAVE ME, SAVE ME " routine. Nope Popeye was the man for me, even his rough edges, silly waddle and his stupid little hat did nothing to deter me from the fact that this man was a force to be reckoned with. A man who could pack a punch!

And when he needed that extra special little bit of strength he would pull out one of his seemingly endless cans of SPINACH and out would pop amazing mussels and super human strength would ooze from his pores.

Yes I totally identify with Popeye, the uncouth and totally politically incorrect icon of healthy eating.


Is it a coincidence that my very own body is currently storing more than double the iron that it requires to function. (see post FEB FASTING here for more on this) 

Yep you better believe it, when it comes time for fight or flight I am ready. I am well stocked with mussel building, power inducing, body hardening shit kicking iron.

It is amazing just how ready I am for this FIGHT. So come on who's up for it?
SERIOUSLY? What am I saying? Idiot!

Of course that battle is totally internal, and I don't want to fight anyone. I really love others, it's just that pathetic Olive Oil I also associate with that I want to smash.

NOW..... BATMAN......
Of course I really want to be Batman (who wouldn't) with all that cash and unlimited resources, a really cool car and gadgets not to mention the svelt bod and a cape. I wear all black, drive like I'm on the formula one circuit and treat my friends and family like they are side kicks.

BUT...
Sometimes I am just silly old Inspector Gadget. I say "GO, GO Gadget skates" and a hammer pops out of my hat and whacks me over the head.

Go Figure!?!

Which TV character made an impact on you when you were little without you even realising? Think hard and let me know.

Davia
p.s. I always thought I might be wonder woman. :)

Image courtesy of http://www.myfreewallpapers.com/

What will the planet look like when we have finished destroying it?

On The Canvas This Week

1200mm x 1500mm
 Original painting by Davia McMillan © 2011



Long after the bombs have dropped

and the people moved away

The flowers will bloom again

and Mother Nature will have her say.

Poem by Davia McMillan

© 2011

Blank canvas

When I bought this canvas I was totally inspired by a photo that my Grandfather took during the Second World War. He was in the air force and his job was to take aerial photo's which where then used to make maps for the purpose of bombing. Below is a scan of the original photo. I believe it was taken in (31st ?) May 1942.

This is what the German city of Cologne looked like once 1000 RAF bomber planes had spent a little under 2 hrs bombing it. My other grandfather was a Lancaster pilot during this period and it is highly (although not confirmed) that he was also present for this event. He spoke very little about this period of his life, he chose rather to focus on the fact that it was the period in which he met and fell in love with my grandmother, the love of his life, until his dying day.

When painting my picture I thought long and hard about the way in which we approach our life here on earth.

We build great city's and we knock them down, we develop races and cultures and then we tear them/eachother apart in one way shape or form. We think that ultimately we are invincible and can survive anything.

We think this earth is ours to rule and control.

But we are really a small part of the history of this planet and nothing more that a transitory life form. Evolution so far suggests that earth will survive far beyond us, or that we may at some stage evolve into yet another species?  

This gives me hope. Maybe barring the possibility of us bombing the world to bits, there remains a future for our planet after all. Mother Nature wins in the end, how good would that be?

We think the world belongs to US.

Consider this..... 

We belong to the earth.

Detail Cologne Cathedral Painting
Davia McMillan ©2011

How does this question change the way we treat eachother and our planet?

Does it change anything at all?

If you are interested in more graphic detail of this horrific time in history here is a link to Dierk's page which has an amazing collection of similar photo's to the one my grandfather took.

Hope you like the painting :)

Davia