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A Nostalgic Look Back-Barbados & Beyond

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As soon as we landed in Barbados, we began to make preparations to open an Art Gallery/Gift Shop and Boutique. The intention was to take a teaching job and the wife would manage the business.

A teaching job was offered, but the fear of teaching for the rest of my life was real. Creating art was my passion, so the job never lasted one day. We found a two story building in the capital, Bridgetown. The plan was to open a restaurant on the second floor serving local dishes for lunch and operate as a bar in the evenings, specializing in draft beer and a variety of beers from around the world. Hence the name, The Beer House.

The first name for the gallery/gift shop and boutique was The Design and Art Centre, combining arts and crafts and specially designed clothing. It was not long before we began to attract media attention as I began to participate in local competitions and launched my first solo exhibition at the Hilton Art Gallery, on the grounds of the Barbados Hilton Hotel.

There was regular media coverage, print, radio, and TV. Here is a peep back at my scrapbook between 1971 and 1988 when I was still a resident in Barbados.

I had a problem with the journalist referring to my sculpture as a souvenir and a piece of craft work. It was a mahogany sculpture.

 

 

 

 

These newspaper clippings were taken from my two scrapbooks going back to 1967 when I was resident in Coventry, England, then Barbados and now Anguilla, BWI.

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21 comments on “A Nostalgic Look Back-Barbados & Beyond”

I can totally resonate with the fear of being stuck in the job scene and not being able to put your creative talents to good use. There is nothing worse to an artist to feel stifled, it sucks the life right out of us, and we can no longer enjoy the things we love. I’m so glad you followed your passion and created the art that this world needs for you to create. best wishes for your continued success!

Thank you Josie; I actually ignored the doctors orders to stop using my tools, some of which can be dangerous; But I had to get back to work; I still have to be careful, but that was always the case.I am now enjoying carving more than ever.

I fall in the same trap as yourself, I too am a teacher but my passions lie else where, maybe one day we will have what we want. This article is quite interesting, correct me if I am wrong but one of your master pieces was brought home with the president Reagan family? if this is true, that is by far the coolest thing. I got the goosebumps. Keep up the good work. 

Yes the Reagans did receive one of my sculptures as a gift from the Barbados government; I did get what I wanted; I walked out on a new teaching job in 1969 after 15 minutes; I said to myself at the tike “if I take this job I will be here for the rest of my life, and it is not what I wanted” and I walked out and never went back and was a self-employed artist ever since. I sent one of the children to inform the Headmaster that the class needed a teacher.Bite the bullet. It might not be easy. Best Wishes.

Hi, I have read your article very carefully. You discuss in your article about an aim. But the aim is very good.I think every man should have an aim because it requires a right goal to run in the right direction.After reading your article i learn many things.Atlast, Thank you very much for sharing your article.

Thank you, I am  humble to be an inspiration.

Summoning the courage to follow your dream rather than sit back and endure what life tossed at you is one thing I learnt in this article. Just like you, I’m stuck in a 9-5 clerk’s job. I’ve never loved my job to once and ever since I got to learn about affiliate marketing last year, I have been contemplating on whether to quit and go full time on my marketing work but I have lacked the confidence which your post has brought to me. I will motivate myself through you that I can do it too so far you could do it and become a success. Thanks

Thanks for visiting,Do you have any creative skills? You will never know until you try; I have trained many people over the years who had no idea what they were capable of mastering. I always began by not teaching but discovering what one can do with a material, clay was my material of choice because you can do anything with it; it might be words, story telling, a camera, or whatever. Take your time with affiliate marketing, it can be easy and it can be very tough. i cannot imagine working in a job I do not like for more then a few months at the most. Make your dreams a reality.Good luck.

Hi,

First of all i want to thank you for sharing this article with us. We all know that an aim helps a man shine in future . Aimless man never shine in life . I have read your whole article and i learned every man should have a proper aim. I am so much happy you you followed your aim. And just like  you we should also follow our aim . This will help us shining in future .

Thank you again for sharing such a inspirational article with us . I will share this with my friends and family.

Thank you and thank you for offering to share with your friends,I am always  trying to stay focus. All the best to you.

How to over come stuckness and listening to our heart’s passion is what I learned here.If we are stuck with our desires and not listening to our hearts for directions we will continue to stuck where we are.Many times we want many things in our life but these things are not what we really aligned to.Knowing what we really desires and listening for guidance within will directly us in our journey to success.

Thank you for your post my friend.

I was faced with the challenge a second time; we had opened a restaurant as a source of cash flow; the restaurant was successful, but I hated having to shop every day, and getting out of bed to accompany the manager to the Bank deposit box, if he was scared to leave the premises alone was a bore; we missed the cash flow, but the love for the business was not there; we sold the business.I might have been rich by now-LOL

‘Follow your heart’ is the saying we always hear when it comes to what we do especially when it’s something that we are passionate in. I am just wondering if the arts/gift shop still exists and if doesn’t anymore, it must have been a major reason why you moved to Anguilla, as the investment in the arts and gift shop there could have been costly.

The gallery and gift shop is celebrating 50 years in business; I came to Anguilla as a consultant for handicraft development, sponsored by the Canadian Government and fell in love twice.I am sorry to say I lost one Love and the second one is in serious trouble; but the potential is still there.I am creating just as hard as I have always done.

This is awesome! I am glad you chose to go after what you want in life. You refused to settle as a teacher to become an artist, and it sounds like you are doing well for yourself too. I wonder if being a teacher has also helped with you creativity as an artist too? Keep up the great work!

Thanks for your comments; to be honest, looking at education today, i wished I had done both, I know I could have made a difference; that is why 2 of my websites are devoted to education-health and critical thinking,  Time is a huge problem; but I am trying to make up for the loss.Best wishes

Excellent piece of writing to share with us all how you had to follow your heart and be the creator that you were meant to be. I hope your continue to follow your passions and dreams and have more success in the future. Would you have any advice for any other aspiring artists out in the the world? I’m sure many others will be inspired by your work. Thanks 

Really enjpyed your website as well as most recent post.  Good thorough job on this niche.

Barbados sounds like a very interesting place.  I acknowledge you for following your bliss which is art and not going down the teaching road which evidently you are not in total alignment with what brings you the most joy.

Love the photos of your scrapbook.  Brings back many memories.  Really like your Gallery Overview page.  All the Best in continuing to Follow your Bliss.

I wish I had the words to describe the feeling of being in the studio alone, no visitors except the few wild bees and ground lizards, the bees must be attracted by the sound of the tools;I have never been stung; It’s a feeling of total inner peace and satisfaction. My studio is a 40 foot container with 3 windows and 3 doors, that sits on an half acre of vacant land

Your art speaks for itself. It must have taken you a lot of devotion to your craft to create stunning pieces. You in may ways are fortunate because you recognized what your passion was and willing to not get strapped into the teaching profession you were not as passionate about like your art.

The story of creating a place of interest with the restaurant and Beer Bar was inspiring. I presume the lower floor was dedicated to your art gallery. Well done in having a showing at the Hilton Hotel.

You have created a world for yourself and your wife that is very fulfilling. I wish you much success. 

Thank you ; I am even enjoying my work more each day.

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