Last weekend I traveled west with my son and daughter-in-law to visit the family farm just outside of Cowra. It has been eight years since my last visit where the creek bed on a neighbour’s property was filled with water and on that sunny morning looked sparkling, fresh and extremely paintable. This time it was totally dry with not a drop of water in sight. There was a bitter wind blowing – snow falling in the Blue Mountains and although the sun did shine through on occasions it was weak and grey. The landscape was sparse and although I did recognise many of the trees sometimes it felt like I was visiting a place I had never been to before. However, as an visual artist, I know that art is not always about beauty. On this occasion, paintings from this trip will be about the story of drought, survival and stormy, snow-filled skies. The photo above is of an old-timer, showing the ravages of time and age but the character this tree oozes is exceptional.
It is on my easel at the moment drawn up and about to become a painting – which of course I will post as soon as it is finished. This tree is not an easy one to paint as it’s bark is gnarled and pitted and not conventional at all.