Marie-Lise Laviolette

'Lismore Park After The Floods'

pen and acrylic

'Mecca Cafe'

ink pen drawing

'Dead Tracks - Lismore'

ink pen drawing

from on a paper plane - April/May 2016

ink and paper illustrated wooden boxes

'The Rat Who Retired From the World'

          Levanters in their legends say,

A certain rat, grown weary of this life,

Within a large Dutch cheese, afar from strife,

                   Retired to fast and pray.

          He made the solitude profound,

          Daily extending it around.

There our new hermit passed the lonesome day:

          With teeth and claws he worked so well,

          He soon dug out a spacious cell,

Had house and food—what could he more require?

He soon grew fat and round, for God is kind

To those who to his service are resigned.

            One day, to our devoted sire

A deputation came of needy rats,

Asking some little alms for their poor band,

As they were travelling to a foreign land,

To seek for succour ’gainst a race of cats.

“We’re forced to travel without food,” they said,

“Our commonwealth attacked is very poor;

Ratopolis is in a close blockade,

Yet very soon we shall have powerful aid;

We therefore ask but little at your door.”

“My friends,” the hermit cried, shaking his head,

“Things here below disturb my thoughts no more.

What can a poor recluse be thought to do,

          But pray to Heaven to help you through ?

          I hope He'll have some care of you.”

          Thus having said, our new-made saint

          Shut fast his door as off they went.

          Reader, whom do I mean, or what,

          By this unfeeling greedy rat?

A monk?—Oh no, the tale a dervish shows,

For monks are charitable, I suppose.

MARIE-LISE Laviolette has been having a close look at Lismore.

And she likes what she sees. Now this Darwin-based artist has

created an exhibition around her observations.

Her exhibition Urbanities, Mundanities + the Possibilities at the

Art in the Heart Pop Up Gallery in Magellan Street shows just

how Marie-lise sees Lismore. Her photos (from her iPhone),

perspex paintings and drawings represent her unique view.

Marie-lise's six-month stay in Lismore has made a huge impression on her. "It's been a life-changing experience for me," she told The Echo, a Scottish accent covering a French-Canadian heritage. "It's a really happening art scene in Lismore.

I think it's a very inclusive, generous, open town. Everyone is

happy to help visiting artists."

To read the complete story, click on the link above.

Urbanities, Mundanities + the Possibilities

runs until 29th September.