Long Island: Beauty In The Beholder’s Eyes

The Originals Band

By Bianca Major Photographs Courtesy Of Aaliyah Knowles, Alexia Harding, Stephan Knowles, The Long Island Runner News, Bianca Major

‘Feel the fire burning in my soul’

Close your eyes and picture this—soothing waves gently caress the shores of tiny little islands scattered over miles of ocean, dancing between the aquamarine and indigo hues, as dolphins leap with glee over diamond crystal peaks. A natural canvas of pure delight.

The natural beauty of The Bahamas transfers easily to an artist’s impression, making way for countless versions of creativity, birthing varying art forms.

“The Art” and “The Artisan” journey together producing emotionally and visually stunning creations guided by the talented hands of the artist.

Long Island, that skinny “long” island, way “up south” in the chain of the southern Bahamas, is home to artists and artisans of multiple genres.

“Feel the fire burning in my soul” is what you feel when that “down home” folk music hits you. Long Island is home to the “rake n scrape” band, “The Originals”, so get ready to kick your heels up to the sounds of saw scraping and goat skin drums being beaten. The soulful crooning of the concertina, alongside the melody of some sweet Bahamian lyrics sung by lead singer Pablo-Paul Cartwright. Like a true lover to their love, Cartwright belts out the lyrics, “Tell Laura I love her…”, the audience waltzes to the tune of “Irene Goodnight…” and “Where have all the flowers gone…”, followed by another lesson we all can sing to because “If ya touch dat ting, ya mama gern know…”. Put your feet to the dancefloor and show off your “conch styling” to the tune of, “Mama don’t want no rakin’ and scrapin’ in here”.

Rake n Scrape is a music genre developed over the years influenced by African, European and American folk music, with specific concentration of the instruments “the saw”, “concertina”, “goat skin drums” and the storytelling singer.

The Originals has graced us with their musical genius for more than two decades and has no plans on stopping any time soon. Pablo-Paul Cartwright, Orlando Turnquest, Paul Darville, Andrew Cartwright, TC Cartwright and Collins Fox continue to keep this traditional musical art form alive. Judith Farquharson-Rigby

“Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” are the words of Greek philosopher, Plato, which makes the arts so fascinating. Each person has their own unique taste, and it transfers into creations so wondrous, you are left awe struck.

Take a drive down Apple Pond Road, nestled in the heart of Deadman’s Cay, Long Island. There, you will find two of the most creative souls; mother and daughter duo Iris Farquharson and Judith Farquharson-Rigby. The song “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” is the soundtrack that plays in my mind for these two darlings. They truly make beautiful art out of simple things that most of us may just toss out.

Aaliyah Knowles Ceramic Plate Alexia Harding

Being escorted through their hand-crafted gardens will surely inspire you to become a creative genius. Mrs. Iris showed off her many hand-created trinkets and keepsakes that decorate her home and garden, including a never-before-seen “Bottle Tree”, which demonstrates how we can break out of our mundane daily routines.

The Buoy Tree—what a wonderment this was to behold. There is no describing how magnificent it is, a true work of art, nature’s beauty magnified with a sea-inspired human element. Every tree, plant, flower, has its own unique, hand-crafted signage arranged against the blue canvas of the sky. Mrs. Judy has inherited an eye for the ABC’s—Art, Beauty, Creativity—which can only be appreciated in person. It truly is an experience!

“He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”—Francis of Assisi

Long Island is brimming with fresh new artists like Miss Aaliyah Knowles. Knowles graduated from North Long Island High and went on to pursue ceramics/pottery, attaining her bachelor’s degree at University of the Ozarks.

Knowles also received the Dennis Knight Award during her earlier years of study at University of The Bahamas. Describing her passion for pottery, she said, “Pottery went from simply an academic subject to now I cannot go a day without getting my hands muddy. It is really fulfilling watching my pottery transform from pieces of clay to now vessels I can eat and drink out of.”

The Bahamas, home to endless inspiration, an artist’s delight, has called out to Knowles’ soul.

“I gather inspiration from The Bahamas,” she said. “At home, the place I feel most relaxed and most myself, is on the seashore. I am consistently mesmerized by the way the blues and greens dance together on the surface of the sea, and how the sun peaks through the leaves of the coconut trees. If I am honest, it is quite difficult being so far away from home, and so I strive to create vessels that bring a tiny sense of it to my pottery studio in Arkansas.”

While Knowles aims to return home one day to teach pottery to kids, she continues to create.

“I’m taking my first steps into the art world as a potter with burning passion for ensuring that wherever life takes you, you will have a little piece of The Bahamas on your dining room table.”

Bright-eyed and ready to create is Alexia Harding of Salt Pond, Long Island. A young, multi-talented artist she is, wood carving, carpentry, painting, clay, papier-mâché, and more, are all her areas of expertise.

Being in an environment with such natural beauty can reflect on an artist, and the desire to create becomes uncontainable.

Alexia draws her unique, creative inspiration from her “interest in peace and nature, associating with the natural world”.

“From a young age, I drew on anything I could have gotten my hands on,” Alexia went on to say.

With an ocean view at her doorstep, a sense of tranquillity transcends over the atmosphere, lending for easement of creation.

“I take my time adding ideas piece by piece, as it all becomes one completed art piece, ready to display,” she said.

Long Island boasts of many talented artists, not to mention the world-famous boat builders and straw artisans.

Boat builders crafting Bahamian sloops, a skill that you can learn, but a talent and an eye for it that you must inherit or possess.

Sassie Sue Frame Alexia Harding

Sassie Sue Finish

Judith Farquharson-Rigby with organic-grown silver top

Leading Long Islander and boat builder, Stephan Knowles, and his newest work of art, the “Sassie Sue”, built in honour of his mother.

Straw crafts are made from native, organic-grown silver top, which is cut, peeled, stripped, rolled, bundled, sometime dyed and plaited into the many different named patterns, then transformed into the many different straw products known to us today.

Straw artists craft bags, hats, baskets and so much more from this source of natural fibre textile. Some of Long Island’s straw artisans include Prudence Cartwright, Charles Wallace, Keisha Pratt, Suzan Cartwright, Lisa Cartwright, Pearl Cartwright, Terecita Major, Georgiana Darville, Jennifer Cartwright, just to name a few.

As we gaze and take in the beauty around us, we must conclude we are all living works of art, creating works of wonder every day. UA