Shelley Rickey

Starting Over

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 20:35:00 +0000

I find it impossible to continue this blog. I am a different person since the loss of Marko. This blog feels like a past life. What hasn't changed is my need to create. I will in time have another place online where i can share all of my work, but in the mean time, for those of you who are interested in how i am getting along, i invite you to visit the website of The Mourning Glories and read 'Our Story'.

I really enjoyed having this blog and will keep it online, just as i keep a suitcase filled with all my clippings and keepsakes, to visit now and then. Thank you to all of my followers and readers who have showed interest in my work and supported me over the years. It's been a great pleasure.

Much love and wishing you all the very best,
Shelley

Mourning Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 19:26:00 +0000

On the 4th of September my soul-mate and artistic partner, Marko van der Horst, took his own life. This is the first time that i have actually written those words. I will only say a few things about his death. No, i never saw it coming nor did anyone else and No, i don't know why.

Yes, of course, i was and, at times, still am consumed with a world of guilt. A million questions of 'what didn't i see?' and 'what could i have done?' or 'shouldn't have done' tortured me. Thankfully, i have been surrounded by very trust worthy friends who have the vision and wisdom to guide me through handling these feelings, otherwise i would have absolutely destroyed myself. The thing is, had he spoken to me, or any of his dear friends, and told us he was feeling so terribly, we would, of course, have done things differently, but he didn't. I didn't know. I had no idea. No one did. Of course, the guilt and the horror of this will rear it's ugly head and haunt me for the rest of my life but i try my best to keep it in a place that makes life manageable. It is, however, the fight of my liife to do so.

Marko was quite an amazing and unique character and there are countless stories that i and others could tell you about him but for now, i would like you to know these two things...

Firstly, Marko was the fun-loving, charming, witty fella who made everybody laugh. If Marko was along, everyone knew it was going to be one hell of a fun ride. He loved nothing more than to make people laugh. But, although he often stood out in a crowd and was ever-charming on stage, inside he was real bashful and was uneasy with the role. He was thus not unlike so many other artists who are so good at masking their worry with much frivolity that no one is aware of it's depth. Nor would he be the first to be so sensitive that he found his life's problems unbearable.

Further, as a partner and lover... Saying that he loved me isn't saying nearly enough. Marko van der Horst celebrated me. We truly had a rare love. Many remarked upon it. One of our names was rarely mentioned without the others. People admired our love. This all makes what i'm about to say next really really hard...

I think that one of the reasons that Marko couldn't tell me his problems is because he loved me so much that he just couldn't let me down.

With all this said, it doesn't give us any answers and even if we had some, they may not make us feel any better. There has been, however, a lot that has happened since Marko's death, that have given Marko back to us, so to speak. That last, impulsive decision of his life has nothing to do with the Marko that he let us know and thus i and his friends have been focusing on celebrating the incredible 45 years of his life before this. Doing so has given us a lot of healing. As tragic as Marko's death is, the most amazing, strange, uncanny, almost spooky, sometimes even funny, often completely unbelievable things have happened since. It seemes like the heavens are screaming at us: 'You will never understand it, but it was so meant to be.' There are many, many a story to tell.After Markos death, it was most practical to communicate to everyone at once via Facebook. Although i used to cuss this site as a necessary evil, it has proven to be an amazing source of support for me, his family and loved ones. The empowerment i have gotten from sharing these stories combined with the support i have received from the readers is playing a large part in saving my life. Equally important, it has done a lot to give back to me, and all of us, the glory that was Marko van der Horst. Marko was a incredibly beautiful, giving, tender, charming man and he deserves that... he deserves to be remembered well.

I lost my everything...

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:54:00 +0000

The joy you brought us is immeasurable.

To lose you is unbareable.

Marko van der Horst

March 12th 1969 - September 6th, 2014

Hand-Drawn Flyer

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 15:32:00 +0000

This flyer took me way too long to make BUT i sure did learn a lot doing it. Slowly getting better at that hand lettering stuff! So here it is, the latest flyer for our little shop, The Jumping Flea Market.

A Day at the Office

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 21:16:00 +0000

When you work as a performer, you find yourself in some wacky-ass situations, a lot. It almost becomes 'normal' until you recall it later and think, 'Dang y'all, that was one wacky-ass situation!'. Today was no exception...

Marko and i were hired by our pal Paul Posse of Posse Espressobar to do a little gig this afternoon. (BTW, his place kicks ass. It's in an old warehouse in Katendrecht. Trust me, it's really cool...Go visit it.)

So, the gig is that Marko and i are to be performing in a Bakfiets (bakers' bicycle as shown below) which will guide a group of folks from the NHOW hotel over the walking bridge to the bar). So, we're in this bakfiets with two ukuleles a singing saw and our washtub bass. we play a little bit at the hotel and then our driver starts cycling. There is a group of about 100 folks walking along with us. At a certain point i stand up and i'm playing the bass. I've got my back to the road because that is pretty much the only way i am able to stand. It's a tight fit in this sucker. A bit wobbly too but, it's going well until...

we ride over this tiny little curb which throws me backwards over the front of the bike. Marko makes a dive for me and can just catch my legs which he has pressed against the inside of the wooden car. This leaves me dangling by my knees over the front of this Baker's Bicycle for what feels like an eternity till about 5 guys coming rushing over to help me out of the tangle. Yep, that happened. I didn't hear anybody laugh out loud, which is a credit to the international IT TEAM of the Nike coorporation whom we were guiding through the streets but honestly,... if i would have seen this i would have had a hard time not rolling around in laughter. It had to look absolutely hilarious, i must admit. There were folks filming when it happened and i can imagine this footage has major viral video potential. And if that happens... i'll be in South America somewhere donning a fake moustache and changing my name to Pepé.

Inkalicious Dip Pens

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:39:00 +0000

How i love them. Haven't mastered this ink stuff yet and my fingers have the 'Havana Brown' stains to prove it but i sure am enjoying trying to figure it out. My latest...

Tune Out, Turn Off, Be Small

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:26:00 +0000

It's been a while. Marko and i had a mad summer of performing, teaching & selling at festivals. We had an absolutely amazing time. The folks, the food, the art, the music. Wonderful stuff! But, those festivals are also the shit. They usually entail us packing up our entire shop, 24 workshop ukuleles, our own instruments plus sound equipment which we then lug to locations both near and far far away. Many days would start around fucking-hell A.M. and would end around crazy o'clock the following morning usually followed by a long drive home. Whoever thinks that artists and musicians are lazy can kiss my ass. I really love doing fests but honestly, by the end of July, we were ab-so-lute-ly exhausted. Mentally & physically 'kapot'.

We did our last summer festival on the first weekend of August and then we shut down EVERYTHING. We didn't actually stop working but we turned off the 'noise'. Our shop was only open via appointment and most importantly, I put a 'Gone Fishing' sign up on all of our web- and social media sites. Man, i can't tell you how much i have enjoyed turning off Facebook. Not that i don't 'LIKE' Facebook. It's an incredibly cool thing BUT! There is a whole hell of a lot of stuff i don't miss about it.

Shutting off has been a real eye-opener actually. I've come to realize that i've let internet and online media become a distraction instead of using it as the awesome tool that it is. Oh, and another little thing i realized, I've been posting things on FB which i should have been posting on my own blog and eventually linking to Facebook. As you see, that is also going to change.

I've been tackling this break with great enthusiasm in general. I wanted to go back to those pre-internet days when everything was 'smaller'. Just me, my LW Radio and my tools and 'stuff'. That's it. No email, no telephone, nothing. Just long dreamy days of creating, reading, playing and listening to stories on the BBC. It was difficult to get in the groove in the beginning. I did a lot of sleeping the first week. The last couple of weeks though have been really beautiful. Sounds strange but, It feels like my days are much longer. Being 'small' has been freakin' wonderful. I recommend it highly.

Coquettish Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 15:47:00 +0000

I've been making a few new items for the summer festival markets this year. And what better fashion accessory for summer festivals than a sassy little crocheted Bikini Top & matching Tote Bag? I can't think of any.

And, the Flyer...

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 20:57:00 +0000

Oh ya, baby. The best damn party in Rotterdam is coming up in a few weeks... Pijnackerplein Bluegrassfestival. I was very happy to be asked to do the design work again this year. The organizer of this festival is Guido de Groot of Kito Cartoons. Guido does the illustrations and i try to match his vibe with my graphic design. I think it's a good marriage. And this year, not one cage fight during the process.

I really like that Guido doesn't go the 'Babe and Hot Rod' route with this fest. Not that i have anything against Babes and Hotrods, but it seems that so many festivals use that 'look'. I love the quirky-ness of the whole affair at the Pijnackerplein... a true reflection of this wild and wacky little neighborhood here in Het Oude Noorden.

Wanna see more? Click on the image and then click next to see the back of the flyer which highlights all the amazing things you can see, hear and do during this years fest.

So, if you are going to be in the neighborhood of Rotterdam, make yourself a note: 28th & 29th of June. See You There! Yeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaw!

Graphic Designs for the Pijnackerplein Bluegrass Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Fri, 30 May 2014 11:22:00 +0000

Here's the huge A0 Poster, which nearly took my poor old Mac down for the count. The wonderful illustrations were done by the festival organizer, Guido de Groot of Kito Cartoons. I think my graphic design goes really well with his style. Very glad he choose me to do the posters again this year. You can see more of my design for Guido here and here.

These huge posters will be pasted in large advertising frames along the highway and throughout the city. More designs for the Pijnackerplein Bluegrass Festival coming soon!

Flea Market Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Mon, 19 May 2014 01:43:00 +0000

My favorite Sundays are spent going on Flea Market Road Trips with Marko in search of great items for our shop. Here's a few of this weekends finds. A German Kitchen Clock, Glass Flask with Wicker Cover and Pewter Screw Top & Jigger, Newspaper Rack for 'Dagbladen' (Dailys) and 'Weekbladen' (Weeklys) & a Plaid Guitar Case with leather handle and closure.

Pen & Ink

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 19:06:00 +0000

I found some really nice wooden nib holders at a flea market and have since been playing around with Pen & Ink. I absolutely love drawing with a dip pen.

Working on Some New Signs

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 20:16:00 +0000

for The Jumping Flea Market..

Tits Out for Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 09:07:00 +0000

NEWSFLASH: ÉÉNOOG LIVES!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:46:00 +0000

This is a little story i've been covering since 2011 which has just taken yet another wonderful and wacky turn. But first, If you haven't read my previous posts about 'ÉÉNOOG' then please, if you have a moment to spare, i really encourage you to do so.

Read about the first time Marko and i came across Éénoog in this post from the 11th of December 2011, "Roadside Awesomeness in Belgium".

Then, read the tragic follow up to this story posted on September the 27th, 2012, "Not-So-Awesome Roadside Update"

You still following me? Great, because this story looks like it's going to have a happy ending. I received news last week that ol' One Eye has risen from the ashes and has since hitched a ride on an 18-wheel, flat-bed truck towards the Lowlands and is expected to be arriving back home in Waregem, Belgium at the HM International forklift company in approximately four days!

BIG COLOSSAL HOORAY

We wish Éénoog a safe journey home &

Cheers to Hervé Missiaen for bringing the Big Fella back!

Sunday Jam at Café de Bel

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 19:25:00 +0000

Blue Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 16:35:00 +0000

Marko and i host all kinds of wonderful, wacky and obscure events in The Jumping Flea. Yesterday we held the very first 'Blue Sunday', a Cyanotype Workshop by Rens Horn. I say the very first because it was so great that we are definitely going to repeat this. Rens taught this so well and we had such a great group of participants. Just look at 'em!...

Just love my gorgeous new radio

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 01:00:00 +0000

The 'Saint James' Pocket Transistor Radio manufactured by Optalix of France, circa 1966/'67. Pretty ain't it? Click on the image to ZOOM!

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:59:00 +0000

December 27th - It is proclaimed that Atticus is TOO FAT.
December 28th - Atticus is put on a diet
December 30th - Atticus figures out how to open the refrigerator and eats 2 weeks worth of cat food in the middle of the night.

Small Time Crooks are goin' Big Time

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:46:00 +0000

We've got a Barber Shop here in Rotterdam that i dare say is pretty much world famous for people in the 'Barber-Shop' know. It's called Schorem and it's pretty damn Bad Ass. They only do about 12 classic cuts and there are no women allowed, as it should be in a Barber Shop. The national and international media has picked up on this Schorem and it's been an absolute sensation. There's a 3 hour line outside of their shop nearly everyday just to prove it.
Please click on the image and ZOOM, both their cuts and the poster are amazing.

Our dear friends, The Small Time Crooks, who are pretty bad-ass themselves hooked up with the fella's at Schorem and made this fantastic video of their song, 'Never Argue With Your Barber'. Since then, they too are making a pretty big smash on the nets and such. I couldn't wish it for a cooler group of fella's. I hope they go on to have great succes. (Oh, And i also hope that they write a hit song with a singing saw in it...Hell Yeah!) So, here they are... Take it away, Boys!

The Dirt Behind the Duds...

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 21:26:00 +0000

This photograph was taken by Marcel Speet for his 'Buurtgarderobe' (Neighborhood Wardrobe) series. I was asked to put something on that had a special meaning for me and so I chose my John Deere T-shirt and Black Petticoat.

The John Deere t-shirt is part of what i most lovingly call, 'The Redneck Christmas'* story about a party which took place at my step-sister Tammy's house. *First of all, I am NOT calling Tammy nor any body else in my family a redneck but there was an undeniable Southern-Fried flavor to this party which i knew, were i to tell this story to my friends back in the Netherlands they'd be thinkin', 'Dang, what a bunch of rednecks'.

It started subtly, when my step-brother Earl's phone went off and the ringtone played "Sweet Home Alabama". SKYNYRD! Nice start. We all had dinner then afterwards gifts were exchanged. We did this by playing 'Dirty Santa' which i had never heard of before. Not sure i remember exactly how it went but we took turns... first someone chose a present from under the tree and opened it. The following persons could then either choose to also take an unwrapped gift from under the tree, OR they could take a present away from someone else. It took awhile before the dust settled before everyone had a present, wether that's what they really wanted or not. Hilarity, mixed with wee flashes of mostly-playful, sibling ugliness ensued. YEAH!

I still have, and adore the present i received that night. A Ceramic Chicken Sugar Pot and Rooster Creamer i plucked from under the tree, and retained, from my most eccentric and entertaining step-sister, Adela. Besides the 'Dirty Santa' presents, EVERYBODY got 'John Deere' apparel. Um'hmm, we did.

No one actually got an 'I love Dirt' baby jumper
but only because nobody had a baby.

Okay, so we're starting to feel a little bit of a theme here, right? Well, now we come to the country-fide clencher of this whole story when one of my Nephews opens up his present...

Either Tammy's son, Hunter or his cousin, (Adela's son) Jonathan, who were both around 16 years old at the time, received a new Hunting Rifle...

with which one of them accidentally shot the other the following week. Yep, nothing quite expresses the joy of the Southern Holiday Season like the gift of firing power and then filling your cousin full of buckshot. Can i have a "Yeehaw", Brothers and Sisters??!! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw! Thankfully, after the removal of many a pellet from one of their lanky, wirey bodies, he was okay. I believe it was Hunter who shot Jonathon by accident, which makes this story pretty much perfect.

The petticoat story is more of a sentimental tale and nobody gets hurt which probably only makes it interesting to my parents, who are most probably the only ones who are reading this in the first place. (Hi Mom, Hi Dad!)

During another very memorable summer vacation in Mississippi, my Dad took me to The Promenade Square Dance shop. We had such a great time there. It was in a little wooden house in downtown Gulfport. Unbeknownst to Dad, the owner turned out to be a long-time classmate of his. I believe their last names followed each other alphabetically which meant they were always seated by each other in class. She was quite a gal. Strong, in-charge type with a gift for telling a great story, the one more humorous than the other. Dad told me later that she got a special award when she graduated from High School for having never missed 1 day of school, ever. From grade school all the way through high school, not one day. Dang.

While they caught up i walked slowly through the front room. From floor to ceiling it was a fluffy, ruffled organza petticoat dreamland trimmed in satin. I tried this black one on and while i was beaming at myself in the mirror, Dad said, 'Oh, Shelley that's so pretty, it's just beautiful but,... how ya gonna get it back to Holland, Sugar?' Smiling ear-to-ear i told him that i was definitely going to wear it on the plane. He laughed SO hard. And he's got a great laugh.

Anyway, it was just a really fun time with my Dad in a unique little shop during one of the best vacations of my life. Besides that, the petticoat reminds me of when my Mom and Grandparents used to Square Dance which is where my Mom met my Dad (who is actually officially my step-dad) in the first place. Grandma made me a little red and white gingham square-dance dress and petticoat exactly like my Moms. Although it wasn't easy to get me in a dress as a little girl, the petticoat was a different thing all together and i felt like one hot patootie. TWIRL!

Merry Christmas from 'The Jumping Flea' & Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 16:35:00 +0000

Marko and i got together for a Christmas Song. We hope you will like it. Merry Christmas, EVERYBODY!

Love this portret...

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 22:23:00 +0000

of ukulele player Richard Vroom painted by Jasper Oostland.

Acrylic on Matting Board

The Very First 3D-Printed Ukulele

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 23:38:00 +0000

Well, the very first successfully 3D-Printed Ukulele i should say. There have been more attempts but they just weren't working. On the other hand, this one sounds amazing! And, to my delight, our friend Jontom is playing it. Bonus!

JaMarkoquai

noreply@blogger.com (Shelley Rickey) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 10:19:00 +0000

Marko reminiscing about the 90's this morning... Did y'all know Marko was both the choreographer and lead dancer on Jamiroquai's 'Emergency on Planet Earth' tour? Yep, he and the 'Jam' are still good acid/funk buddies. He lovingly calls Marko van der Horst 'JaMarkoquai'. Sweet, aint it?!!