Kimberley Plein Air Painting Trip
Kimberley Plein Air Painting Trip
I’ve just returned from an epic journey to Australia’s Kimberley region. This was a 14,000 km drive from Victoria in the South where I live, through the central desert area to the lush tropical north and the rugged gorges of the Kimberley. My husband and I camped in a tent and drove on mostly dry, dusty, corrugated roads to some of Australia’s most scenic areas.
As a plein air artist the amount of inspiring beautiful scenery was at times overwhelming and although we had allowed ourselves 3 months for the journey, time constraints often meant I had to make do with taking photographs. I did, however manage to find time for 31 small plein air oil paintings along the way.
This is a sample of some of the paintings and locations from the trip.
The paintings were stored safely into the wet panel carriers I had brought along. On returning home the paintings were unpacked and it’s been interesting to look at them again. With each one I viewed, memories came flooding back of the feelings, sounds and colours I experienced whilst painting in those gorgeous locations. Northern Australia has scenery and vegetation which is vastly different from the South and I found it very challenging to manage the different, lush tropical colours, rugged red rocks and pools of turquoise water.
It has been quite difficult deciding which images to show here as I love all the paintings in their own right. In the months to come I may touch up some of the little studies in the studio, use others as references for bigger paintings and some will remain as small finished artworks in their own right.
Any enquiries about my paintings can be made through the contact form on my website. I’d love to hear from you.