Apple Tree Flat from Lookout Point, Commission Road
Photo credits: Ryan Jenkins

Sublime and majestic, we are lofty. Mountains hug and melt into the grasslands. A parrot song upon escarpment high. Flying with the clouds aloft on a cliff. Sandstone faces, tree limb bodies.
Sun-kissed ranges watching nourishing, nutrient rich plains of Apple Tree Flat.

Grasslands of the Hunter valley lie beneath. Bird-like our view. Perched upon the stone cliff. Freedom. Limitless. Expansive and immersive. Colours shimmer in the distance. Lilac blues, sage greens and weather-worn wheat-yellow dance on the lowlands. Muswellbrook and surrounding towns are dots in the distance. We are miles from town and a distance from care.

Excitement dances in our bellies. Our final site to paint and explore. We scout the position, hasty, ant-like. Time is precious and not to be wasted on idleness.
I find a spot, there could be many, but I choose one in the long spear grass which peers over the rock edge to the sprawling land below.

The process begins slowly. A small sketch. Mindfully still. Breathe the air and feel the breeze on my skin. My senses are aroused. My heart beats a little faster. Is it nerves or excitement? I can’t tell. The challenge awaits me. Unfold the materials and wet the brush. Load the paint.

I trust my well-worn process. It has served me well. I don’t have time to experiment or try something new. Time is important. A small thumb nail sketch, looking at composition and important landscape features. The canvas comes next, usually small yet at times when adventure awaits it is large.

This time a small 5x7 inch gessoed wood board will suffice. Magenta dances first. A vibrant colour shimmers on the surface. Orange oil pastel follows blocking in shapes inspired by the thumbnail. Dark to light colours are applied. It is a trusted process and ensures no dull grey mud colours. Bright colours are chosen, intuitively. Brush marks are fast and at times bold. The landscape is not romantic.
She is brave, daring, and fearless likewise my trusted paint process.

As I paint, I muse on the land before me and our original custodians, Wonnarua people. Their connection with this timeless land. Spiritually woven into the landscape - a heartbeat of a vast
Love.

If I could capture but a small part of this captivating energy, then I would feel successful.

Diary Entry: 20th May 2021
Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
Artist in Residence Program
Wollemi National Part, NSW , Australia

A Parrot Song : Diary Entry 20th May 2021 Artist Residency MRAC