Paul Louis Villani

The Melbourne & Victoria Group February Writers Meet is just around the corner!
So, what better time to interview a writer from this group and a lady whose love and talent for the written word inspires so many, including myself! :D
Please meet Adgray and check out some of her wonderful written works here.

1) How did you find Red Bubble and are you enjoying this online artistic community?

A Friend Told me I could see his art on here so I came in to look and then realised my own dream of establishing my true talent for writing.

2) Describe yourself and your art… do you “live” your art or is art a separate thing in your life?

I live my art! Words are in my head all the time swirling about and then when they collect I must write or lose it! BUT my life, or should I say the people in my life, demand that I keep it as a separate thing and desire that I only give it “X” amount of time after I have fulfilled all their expectancies. All of them that is except for my fiancé Michael and my 3 younger children. They try very hard not to disturb me when I’m writing!

3) So far, what has been your greatest artistic achievement and where are you headed, what your dreams both personally and artistically?

Phew! Can I say I don’t know if I have achieved my greatest yet? But I suppose to date I have written a book … erm SAGA. I had destroyed my ankle [the left one but that would be adding too much detail for such a small response expectancy] and was pretty much stuck in my house alone for 8 months. So what do you do when you can’t get to a shop to buy a book & the ads on TV make viewing shows next to intolerable? You write a book of course! The Daintree Daughters or you could read my Authors Note.

But I perform as well – singing acting dancing – I had some hassles with an ex and stopped performing for almost ten years. Then started again although I still had hurdles to get over for singing so I took along the First Paragraphs of the Saga and read them out as a collection of prose to a group of people at the Local Open Mic Nite. I gained so much confidence from the fact that by the end of the reading the hall was so silent I could hear the audience barely breathing – either I had intrigued them in the words enough [or bored them to death] …. and there was that pause as the audience waited for more … then they exploded in a standing ovation! ... Kids too!

Then I thought “Well if they liked my reading they may like my singing again”. So I tried but really didn’t give it my all again until I was asked to put a song on the local artist’s compilation CD “InputOutput” I did Gershwin’s “Summertime” with the local High school’s Music teacher backing me on guitar and after I laid it down in the studio I came out of the booth to see stunned faces! My fear was I was THAT bad but then they exploded in cheers and applause so laughing I felt better! lol

But How can I go past my best creations to date? I have 5 brilliant children! Each one of them achieve in their own ways so exceptionally! the eldest two are men; the eldest one a top tiler [floors & walls] and the younger [Tom] just left school. The three youngest are in the bubble – my daughters Bjboo , – a writer & photographer Gynnirox – my stunning little writer & my baby son Rangafox – a very promising photographer
- Yes for those who panic about children being exposed to the adult world – I am teaching them how to cope with the adult world and find a path through it where they can shine for themselves … isn’t that what you do? They cannot suddenly be adults just because you stuck another candle on their birthday cake. And in the world of art they have to be strong in themselves to survive the bitchiness that will attack them! I would say this bubble is the best training ground for them! They only have net access in my home or school anyway and so I am always there to supervise, and the school’s net-nanny has blocked redbubble until they are in year 10 But HOW GOOD IS IT that the senior high schools are recognizing RedBubble as a brilliant introduction into the art world!☺

OK so What do I hope to achieve …. Where am I aiming to from here?
Artistically:
1- I must get a book printed before my father dies [he’s 80 & holding up well but there just may be a bus with his name on it!] so he can read it!
2- To be a published writer just to prove that my Scribbling was not in vain!
3- To have the collection of Ekphrasis pieces I have done here in RB to be published in a book(s) with the art that inspired them.

Personally:
1- to have my children settled and happy
2- to get married to Skik [& have his child would be brilliant!]
3- to have my health sorted out and improved
4- to have this home set up right & our social life happening
5- to have our country home found [to move to in 7years time or as soon as we can!]
6- to travel around our gorgeous country [& maybe the world]
But overall wouldn’t it be brilliant to do a World RB Party Crawl! ☺lol☺

4) Who has or have been the biggest influence on you as an artist?

My family in both positive & negative ways, [Stop that Scribbling! lol]
- The RB community for encouraging my writing when I think I’m just blathering in the wind – like I have always been told in the past!
- My cherished Nana for when I was 8 she recognised in me my brilliance for “Story Telling” and told me to “Write the stories down and I will be a published writer one day!”
- The first actual person to ever praise my creativity was my favourite “Uncle” a man named Steven Hacobean who is married to my mother’s cousin and who taught me the meaning of longevity is to “Live doing what you do best!”
- Seeing my daughters and sons echoing my talents is HUGELY validating!
- But mostly my Dad for insisting I give him my first published copy – not because he didn’t want to read what I had written but because then I would be accomplished having been published!

5) Name 5 people you would have over for dinner and what you would cook for them?

[how’d you know I could cook? lol] – Crikey just my family is over 20!!! Have you seen my Watchlist? Only 5? I can feed 100 in half an hour …. Oh OK I’ll try …. but just remember I’m a writer NOT a mathematician! lol
So aside from my family & close friends [about 12 of them!]
☼ RB artists -You, “Joak”, “Pagly”, “Sally Omar”, “Sweetscents”, “DawnDavis”, “Liesbeth”, “Miri”, “Jem”, “Trace”, “Larry”, “Binji”, “Trudi”, “Woody” & the 2 Darrens “Dazza” & “Dareeen” Oh stuff it …. My watch list! All 775 of them! lol☺ (WOW What a party that would be!!!!! [I think I have to go through my watchlist lol but you have to admit it would be an awesome party! lol

Other Influential people … John Farnham, Steven Hacobean, Mel Gibson, Barbra Streisand, Meryl Streep, Sarah Ferguson [Duchess of York one], Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Jackman, Judi Nunn, JK Rowling & Dame Elisabeth Murdoch [just cos she’s awesome at 99yo & lives up the road from me & loves my Tom! lol!

The MENU:
Starters – water crackers with fine slices of smoked Emu with King Island Brie, Bega vintage tasty, brandy port & sage paté & a selection of Aussie Bush Fruits with ice cold lager [Fosters or Vic Bitter]
Entrée – pumpkin soup & bush damper and a salad of steamed yabby spinach & bok choi flowers tossed in mint and garlic balsamic vinegar with a crisp Jamison Run Chardonnay
Mains – campfire seared roo fillets served on a bed of “Bashed” baked potatoes drizzled in red wine jux, with red & Chinese cabbage coleslaw & bush chutney with a full bodied Yearing Merlot
Dessert – brandy snap baskets filled with forest berries clotted brandy custard & home made vanilla ice-cream drizzled in mint chocolate; a stack of chocolate ripple biscuits (Cookies) soaked in Rum-Port & sandwiched with fresh whipped cream dressed in strawberries & chocolate mint sauce; mini Pineapple cheese cake & mini Pavlova with cream & crushed mint slice chocolate bar served with a seductive Brown Brother’s Orange Flora Muscat Saturn
Afters – fruit, Aussie cheeses, Arnotts Chocolate covered Biscuits [especially Tim Tams & Teddy bears] Jaffas & Malteesers, Kool Mints & Fantails with coffee & Port [Rum, Tawny, Muscat, Toque], whiskey or scotch.

WHERE is just as important and I would set up camp around a redgum / lemon gum fire on top of a mountain with panoramic views! We would gather there at 5 o’clock on a brilliant summer’s evening and to the tunes of Irish and Aussie ballads enjoy our scintillating conversations and the brilliant ambiance of the Aussie High Country bush!
So when shall we indulge?

Now the quick ones … ☺
What are you?
Realist or Dreamer = DREAMER!!! ~ realism’s so BORING!!

Dancer or Voyeur = DANCER!!! ~ why watch when you can have the fun doing it!!

Harmonica or Sitar = Harmonica ~ those haunting lullabies or the bright bubbly jigs! I much rather the tones of ballads and blues, folk & classical, but then I dance to Big Bands and well I guess anything that has rhythm! lol

Chatterer or Listener = Oooh um … Both but probably the chatter, well story telling & words are my art! Mind you in my world of writing I also listen constantly – to music, children laughing, birds, animals, the bush, crackling log fires, waterfalls, wind in the trees, waves on a beach, ... people, traffic, air-conditioners … [pretty much in that order! ... but at the moment the aircon is obliterating pretty much everything else!]

Color or B&W = either, I had the privilege of both B&W and Colour TV viewing and I found I imagined the colours pretty spot on! I dream in colour and I like to balance my colours. I find the monotones dull unless you dress them up with a touch of colour! But then I also feel the drama and warmth even in B&W

Books or Mags = ha! Here I have you completely stumped! B O T H !!! I have 4 books & at least 2 magazines about the place at any one time, and there’ll be reference books & Novels and Classic Tombs all open at one page or another! Words are my Art & my LIFE!

What are your…
Favorite TV show(s)? = F-Troop, Monkeys, MASH, Muppet Show, Scrubbs, Boston Legal, House, Five Mile Creek, McGregor Saga, Maverick, Sullivans, Hey Hey it’s Saturday, Rove, Midday, Disneyland, Better Homes & Gardens, Travel Shows, Lifestyle DYI shows & Makeover shows, Layland Brothers, Rolf Harris, ... ok I’m scraping the barrel now lol

Favorite Movie(s)? = you ready? lol
Man From Snowy River [1+2], All the Rivers Run, Against The Wind, the Matrix, the Harry Potters, the Indiana Jones(es), Mad Maxes, Lethal Weapons, Die Hards, Wild Wild West, Maverick, ALL the 50’s Golden Hollywood & Broadway Musicals, Buster Keaton Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin & Laurel & Hardy movies, Jerry Lewis movies, Donnel O’Connor movies, Walt Disney Movies, James Bond, Shakespeare In Love, Becoming Jane, all the English Shakespeare remakes & the Austin & Bronte movies, BUT above all “The Court Jester!” Danny Kaye

Favorite Band(s)? = Oh man make it easy why don’t you! Uuuuummm, “The Corrs”, “The Gundaguys”, “Crowded House”, “Police”, “Cold Chisel”, “Supertramp”, “Men at work”, “Talking Heads”, “RedGum”, “LRB” … Does “John Farnham” count as a band on his own? [In which case Barbara Streisand, Tina Arena, James Blunt & a few others lol] How bout the 40’s Big Bands? And I guess anything else in the same lines … whatever they are! lol

Favorite Song? = I’m a singer! I cannot say just ONE song but I guess “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin is close cos I’m still looking for mine!
But I also love “Chasing Cars” – Snow Patrol , “the Reason is You” – Hoobastank , and John Farnham’s “Reason Why”, “Eternally”, “Comic Conversations” & “Help”
and along with them all my son’s band Youngblood’s only recorded song – “In Your Silence”

Favorite Place in The World? = I haven’t been around the world to see everywhere yet and I haven’t actually found the “X-spot” but I know it would be up the Victorian High Country!
I long for somewhere I can sit and breathe and not see another person I didn’t want to for MONTHS!!

Favorite Saying / Quote? =
“Nil Despiradum Illigitimus Carborundum” has helped me survive just so much!
[to translate it literally – “Deny permission for desperation of illegal grinding!”
or colloquially – “Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down!” lol]
I know it’s not a quote or saying but Chookas! is very important to me and I wish it to everyone I can!
But then I think of what I have on my profile:
“Smile and the world smiles with you
Cry and you cry alone….
But if you laugh which is infectious
Imagine the growth of such an illness sown”
[don’t know who wrote the first bit but the second bit I added! ☺]
It goes with my tag of “Keep Happy!” and now my Bubble sign tag of “Happy Bubbling!”
I noted you didn’t give me a Literary section (lol) so just in case …..

Favourite Book / Author? = Banjo Patterson, Henry Lawson, Dianna Gabolden, JK Rowling, Jack Whyte, Shakespeare, Jane Austin, the Bronte’s, Judy Nunn and apparently Stephenie Meyer [the writer of the Twilight series that I keep being told I have to read but they won’t give me a book long enough to open the cover! lol] I’m sure there are heaps more but I have a hard enough time for people to read my stuff, who has time to read the list of my fave authors?