Partner, Father, Actor, Writer, Oil Artist, Singer-songwriter, Lyricist, Long-distance Runner . . .
George Connell, feature personality for this issue, has a lot going on and has never shied away from setting impressive goals for himself.
Born in Brighton, England and raised in Montreal, George has lived on the West Coast since 1973 and on the Sunshine Coast since 2000. What keeps someone with so many irons in the fire here, in a fairly small, fairly out-of-the-way place? George says he stays because of the small communities, not despite them: “The Coast is a ‘human-sized’ community that keeps me honest.” Meaning, perhaps, that one has to operate with integrity and see things through. Here, there’s no hiding behind anonymity.
Not long after arriving here, George and his partner, well-known potter and sculptor Pia Sillem, set themselves a daunting mid-life goal: the creation of their extensive home and studios.
“My partner, Pia, and I decided, when we turned fifty, that we wanted to build our own little home on raw land. We found 22 acres and built our home, studios, gallery, and wood-fired kiln from scratch.”
This dream home and property, which they call Geopia Gallery and Garden, is an expansive, artsy, welcoming place. There, amidst large, carefully tended gardens, and overlooking Agamemnon Channel, they host concerts, art shows, and gatherings.
Both George and Pia are visual artists. George’s oil paintings capture candid moments and day-to-day activities in a kind of colourful and democratic portraiture.
But perhaps you’ve heard of George Connell, the actor? He has appeared in numerous television commercials and theatre productions. George Connell, the writer?
He has published two novels set in locales he knows well: Saint Thomas of Egmont is set right here, while The Rise and Fall of the House of Chumley is based in Montreal. He also has a book of poetry, We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet. But we’re not finished. It might be as a singer-songwriter that you are familiar with George Connell. He has worked with an impressive group of collaborators, including some names you might recognize, such as Miles Black and Katherine Penfold. You can find The Elephant in the Room and Solitaire on Bandcamp and Spotify. He is currently working on two further albums.
Is there a common thread to these diverse projects and achievements? Lots of us who live here explore a variety of outlets for our talents. As George says, jokingly, “I’ve heard it said that if you throw a rock into the bushes, if you don’t hit a musician, you’ll hit an artist.” Indeed.
George sets about his work in a courageous and unabashed way. There’s also a sharp wit and a clear-eyed commentary on the human condition in his writing, poetry, and lyrics. Perhaps the most rare and instructive trait of George’s is the fact that he sees things through to completion. He confesses to being wired from an early age to do so:
“I can usually create something if I stay focused on processes rather than outcome. I was also raised to please others with whatever abilities I possessed. That has been both a burden and a blessing throughout my life.”
And then there’s the running. The Coast has some fantastic running trails. George can frequently be seen logging the miles. Maybe that’s the key to his successes: one step and then another. Nothing starts without the first step, and nothing is finished until the last. A long-time long-distance runner, George has found the time and energy to set some new goals. Age is just a number:
“I’m 72. I used to run ultramarathons when I was younger, and I’m trying to get back into it with my younger son, who’s 35. We have plans to run a marathon in the fall and an ultramarathon of 50 km next year in Arizona. I find the concept of mortality unnerving.”
