Thinking on the broad scale; ideas; experimenting with thoughts and ideas,sound and vision and the mixing of some or all of them to achieve something original; collecting fabrics; antique shops; friends; reading; gardening; and walking.
Music
Harp; Violin; The Early Composers; Madama Butterfly-Puccini; Waterloo Sunset/ Dedicated Follower of Fashion-The Kinks; The Winner Takes It All/ Chiquitita/The Day Before You Came-Abba; Man in Black/Folsom Prison Blues-Johnny Cash; Abba Pater- Pope John Paul II; The Story of Demis Roussos -Double Tape 1987 (And all his work); Fear-Paddy Casey; Maybe Tomorrow/Wake Up Brother - Goldenhorse; Dreams/Rebel Heart/Everybody Hurts- The Corrs; Voyage/Lisdoonvarna- Christy Moore; Ave Maria- Dolores O'Riordan & Pavarotti;
The theme from Limelight- Charlie Chaplin; I Am in Love With the World- Chicken Shed; Children- Robert Miles; C U When U Get There- Coolio; Picking Flowers- La Chong (pronounced Lay Chong); World Music; Silent Night- Stevie Nicks; U2- Everything; Beatles; Pet Shop Boys; Blondie; Dusty Springfield; Rod Stewart; Irish Heartbeat- Van Morrison ( and all his work) ; A Song For Liberty( Verdi) Nana Maskouri; Beautiful Collison-Bic Runga; Poi E - Patea Maori Club; Not Many- Scribe
....and much, much more!
Movies
The Kid - Charlie Chaplin ( and everything else by Charlie Chaplin); Citizen Kane- Orson Welles; The Color of Paradise ( beautiful Iranian film) ; Rear Window- Alfred Hitchcock; 84 Charing Cross Road; Ali- Michael Mann; 2001- A Space Odyssey-Stanley Kubrick; The Thomas Crown Affair- John McTiernan; To Be and To Have; The Aviator- Martin Scorsese; Tucker: The Man and His Dream; Schindler's List- Steven Spielberg; Mr Holland's Opus; The Station Agent-Thomas McCarthy; Kolya- Jan Sverak; Scent of a Woman; The Man Who Knew Too Much- Alfred Hitchcock; Rocky; Legally Blonde; To Kill a Mockingbird; It's a Wonderful Life; King Kong- Peter Jackson...and much more.
Television
News and Current Affairs; Imagine (BBC); Talking Movies; Dream Spaces; Hard Talk; Peschardt's People; Anything on Art, Architecture, Colour and Design; History and Culture; Anything to do with The World Around Us including the Exquisite Beauty Beneath the Oceans; Holiday and Travel; Lifestyle; Black Books( A Comedy by and starring Dylan Moran).
Books
"The World of Leonardo" by Robert Wallace; "My Life in Pictures'' by Charlie Chaplin (A lovely Treasure given to me by Adam); ''The Rise of the Creative Class'' by Richard Florida; "Don't Laugh at Me" by Norman Wisdom; Bridge Across My Sorrows by Christina Noble; Everything on Geography, Art and Creativity.
Heroes
Jesus Christ; St. Francis; Pope John Paul II; Leonardo da Vinci; Lee Kuan Yew
About me: ABOUT ADAM'S IRISH MUM - LIZ GREENWELL ( EILISH NI QUIL)
WRITER, POET, FILM MAKER - "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS"
For the film, "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS"(2001), I was writer, producer, director, film editor, graphic designer, music producer and arranger. My son, Adam, was co-producer, music producer and arranger, and is promotions manager. A segment from the film is above.
I have always wanted to do something significant with my life, and to make a strong and meaningful contribution towards a better world and society for all people.
I have a love of St. Francis, the world and its people, as well as creativity in all its wide ranging forms. I am driven by a sense of justice and fairness and the desire to see a safer, kinder, more compassionate and friendly world.
All of the above, as well as early childhood poverty; the loss of my mother at 8 years old; not one , but two near death experiences; several major surgeries; a lot of struggle and survival, have all helped to shape me as a person, as well as my philosophy and outlook.
Those life threatening experiences mentioned above, individually gave me a greater understanding of life and people.
All of the experiences together, plus other creative projects I have worked on, have led me to the work of "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS".
What makes this a rare, unique, and responsible work of art, music and film on the subject of civil society on a global scale is this:
With a desire always to be original in my thinking and approach, I set out to create a first in the world project that encapsulates, and sees as a whole, the human condition with its world problems, man and society, and our relationship to each other and the environment.
With no formal training in film making, I set about this monumental task.
With ill health and at a financial disadvantage, I had nothing but raw talent, commitment, dedication,determination, passion,drive, and the belief in myself to see a vision through from concept to fruition. I drew on a natural aptitude for colour and design, movement, timing, precision,continuity, transition and more.
Plus an eye for grace and style, a deep sense of faith, and a burning desire to get my message across . In the process, I found a style of film making that is unique to
"NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS".
In taking the powerful messages of the poem "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS, (written by me in 1994), through to music tracks and then to film, it was important to me to reach humanity in the widest sense of the word, and to project as well the environment, the world around us, in equal measure.
To do this , I needed the generosity, goodwill, and participation of countries and organizations around the world.
This is where my son Adam excelled.
If I said that I needed to contact Italy for this reason, or Waterford Crystal for a particular reason, or the Great Barrier Reef for another reason- ( I was quite specific about the types of footage I was looking for)- then Adam would use his exceptional skills in promotions and networking to acquire this for me. This is just a tiny example of the many countries, organizations, and individuals we contacted. While I contacted many myself, I left the majority of the contacting of people to Adam.
I wanted to show the extremes that we are living with by expressing the sense of grace, dignity, and beauty of humanity and the world. And at the same time, show how war, with its brutality and destruction, is a devastating intruder on such civility, peace and tranquillity. Then, to capture a moment in history to call on the world to change the way we think, open up to the notion of CO-OPERATION, HOSPITALITY and EXCHANGE, in place of HOSTILITY, FIGHTING and WAR.
My documentary notings, philosophy, and suggestions have covered as a whole the many problems of society and the environment, and the film is part of that overall approach. Therefore, to best get the messages and the work in its entirety out into the world, work has been progressing on a planned launch/event and documentary to take place in four major cities of the world. The purpose of the documentary is to record the event and screening of " NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS" and in the same spirit of generosity and goodwill that was experienced in the making of the film, bring in leaders and others within each city's community, while at the same time, filming highlights of the city itself. The four cities include LA; PRAGUE; DUBLIN; and SINGAPORE. The documentary is to be named "Adam's Irish Mum" aka "AIM" and the format will be the same in each city.
My son, Adam, as promotions and networking manager, has worked closely with me over the years and is my greatest support.
He is co-ordinating the four-city events.
My appreciation of his invaluable assistance in this huge endeavour is well documented in other writings. I will add, however, that his contribution has been monumental.
From a basket of jewels (28 hours of footage, as well as slides and photos etc) from around the world, and given with such generosity and goodwill, I was able to fashion a gift to give back to the world, the gem that is "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS".
It has been my greatest joy to have made this film, and the graphic designs that went into it including the cover design.
Although I wrote the poem in 1994, and had great plans for it, I had to put it on hold due to work done on another project (see blog on "The History of Get Some Vision- A Tribute to Leonardo da Vinci") .
Work began on "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS" in December 1999, and was completed two years later in December 2001. Since then we have each received a papal medal from the late Pope John Paul II, for our work on this project.
Also "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS" has been certified a New Zealand film by the New Zealand Film Commission.
Details and documents pertaining to the film and the proposed documentary, "Adam's Irish Mum (AIM)" have been sent to significant and prominent people and dignitaries, ambassadors and establishments of note all around the world, since its completion.
The video onscreen is a segment from "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS".
Please see blogs and look out for info/updates/bulletins with regard to the progress of the documentary series, the first of which is planned for LA.
Thank you for reading this .
LIZ GREENWELL ( EILISH NI QUIL)
ADAM'S IRISH MUM 10 JUNE 2007
Who I'd like to meet: On the subject of relationships and with regard to close, which I would presume means close personal, close as in friend, and possibly close as in family,I would choose this, one of my favourite Leonardo da Vinci quotes ( please see blog "The History and Origins of the Music Album "Get Some Vison- A Tribute to Leonardo da Vinci"):
"If you should desire company find it in your studies. This kind of company will help you with the benefits that derive from thinking, any other company may be dangerous."
In terms of the work of "NO CHANCE TO PAINT THE CANVAS'', and with regard to relationships on the broader and more global scale, I would say this:
''Can we, all of us together, water the fields of humanity, and bring about a harvest so great it will take the world to pick the fruit; a harvest that is civil society?
I think we can.''
My friend and colleague, Jeniffer Young, represented me at the Fortieth Anniversary of the Robert F Kennedy Memorial in Denver Colorado, in August 2008. The slide show below features my letter to Mrs Robert F. Kennedy, in reply to her very kind invitation to this most prestigious event (the letter has been added to my blog entries).
Photos from the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial event;the portraits presented to Mrs Robert F. Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr, on behalf of myself and my team;and scenes from the historic Democratic Convention where President Obama was nominated, can be all be viewed below.
Just popping by to say hello and let you know i am thinking of you and am so happy that everything is falling into place to make your dream come true. All the best and thank you for everything.
"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls." George Carlin
Thanks for your friendship and terrific comments. I do appreciate the love and energy you share with me. Any fun Halloween Plans Liz? Are you remembering to take good care of yourself? ...Well for now, let's eat drink and be SCARY! Peace ~Kristil~
"The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others... ...devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to... ...creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” "Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.”
Open your heart to the love that surrounds you LIZ. Sending You Love ~Kristil~
Hiya, As some of you already know this is National Month of Disability in the States. Jan and numerous friends have forged such a tight bond that I think of you as an army, lol. I almost can't keep up. ;)
Here's another peek into her personal diary...
Everyone wonders why the disabled, handicapped are happy. I can tell you honestly. It’s a devastating battle that your body must strive to live with. But, getting away from the prison of immobility requires a lot of love for yourself. And when we are out and about we smile because we can still have a somewhat normal life. Winning the battle using all of the love for yourself. A place in your soul that no one knows exists. And finding that place in mine gave me incredible strength to conquer my disease for my right to be normal. From learning that pride isn’t similar to vanity.
The emotions of victory and triumph were far more stronger than the way strangers looked at me. Most with pity, but I didn’t mind. Because I was too busy looking around at everything that I could put my eyes on. In case my day of loss would steal my freedom. I loved and cherished each day with many special memories. I got to see the world more closely. Smiling and taking not one day for granted.
Because the most valuable wealth that anyone can own in this life is the ability to know how strong your love for yourself can truly be. And that is the reason, the secret and the whole meaning of the smile.
Maizie
