My parents Max and Anne Muller, were the original free
radicals, they did there own thing with a moral and social conscience
far in advance of their time. My bother Etienne and I spent our
formative years on a farm in the Transvaal, South Africa, were my
parents ran a " Summer Camp" which incorporated a leadership course
and also a refuge for children getting off drugs. It was a wonderful
childhood as we were home schooled but still had a fascinating social
life. --- (See 'Sun Valley" site)
In 1977 after a lot of soul searching, my family and three
of the young adults that were living with us at the time David, John
and Will, decided to leave an increasingly, (because of its draconian
political and social views), painful to live in South Africa, and
move to Ireland. The seven of us did a trip down the west coast,
alternating between, three on bicycles and four in the car with all
the luggage, staying in caravan parks and camping.---- I have to put
in a THANK YOU here, to Brian Dunne and family, of Dublin, for
putting us up all those times, and giving us our first taste of the
wonderful Irish generosity.
Having apple pies sent up to us by Francis Burns and the
wonderful Hillary O'Sullivan being the local grocer we decided we had
to settle in Sneem, so in 1978, we rented the Old Court House, were
we set up our wood carving workshop and art gallery. Living in two
caravans, on "The Property" over a period of years we built the
house, and finally were able to move the gallery up too. Sadly at
this time, David and John left to go back to South Africa as they
were very home and family sick.
Pam joined us 1978 and soon after, she and Etienne got
married,
At this point I was making soft toys, playing music in a
pub, and painting, Pam was doing Batiks and looking after their
babies Michael and Diana, my mother was painting non stop, and Max,
Etienne and Will were doing wood carvings, framing and building the
house-gallery whenever we had any spare cash. We oscillated between
gripping fear that we had bitten off more than we could chew, and the
energy you have when you are creative and building the new. (See 'Sun
Valley" site - Ireland)
Our friend Will met his future wife Rosie soon after we
had finished the first part of the house -gallery, and moved to
England to get married, they resurrected a pottery in Stoke on Trent
called Burleigh.
I had met, Gary, an Australian on one one of my trips
abroad, and we got married when I was 26, We decided to try our luck
in Oz, so once again the family upped stakes and we moved to Mount
Tambourine, Queensland, were we opened a gallery and also painted
shirts (See 'Sun Valley" site - Australia), and my son Liam was
borne. We back and forthed between Oz and Ireland for a few years,
but, finally came to the decision that we could not face the 'plane
trip again, so came home for good in 1989. My son Andy was borne soon
after.
Having to move back into the caravans made us desperate to
get the house finished, so for the next three years we concentrated
on building, painting and children. It's been years now that we have
been in the houses, but we still give a prayer of thanks for the roof
over our heads.
Gary got homesick and decided to go back to Australia, we
got divorced in 1995.
I have spent the past few years, painting, being a mother,
and a member of an extended family, enjoying friends and family, and
learning computer skills from my long suffering brother.
I have been painting professionally now since I was 18,
and have sold paintings to people from all over the world, had
exhibitions in Ireland, Germany,the USA, and Australia.
I am very fortunate, to be able to do the job I love.
