Leonel da Silveira

Last weekend I went to visit my friend Leonel. He´s an australian, born in Portugal. He was a pilot in portuguese air force, then went to live for some years in his beloved France, then went to Australia, married and became a citizen. At a certain time he had a job flying helicopters to some islands, over the Great Coral Reef. A job he says one should pay to do...
Now he lives in his home town, Monte Real. He once told me, quoting some french writer, that "we are all refugees from childhood".
He not only travelled, but read extensively in three languages, and he´s what Henry Miller, in "The books in my life", calls a "living book". He knows a lot about portuguese and world history, food, art, literature, and a big etc. He painted and made collages, some of which you can see bellow. He also colects random objects for aesthetic reasons. It´s always a previledge and a pleasure to talk to him.
Click images to enlarge.