Valleys and mesas

Having painted one version of the Blue Mountains in a hurry I decided to reproduce it but in a larger and longer format.


Every time I go up the mountains, I am again reminded of its grand scale. It really is a series of mesas and valleys, each one further away wreathed in a blue mist. It's a lush place, despite the awful fires ravaging now and again.

Days of leisure

Recently attended a work conference at Coogee and visited the north Coogee baths. This is a narrow strip of rocks sheltering a glorious little bay.



I spied this girl floating on her back and just enjoying the waters on a hot spring day. She was probably a university student or backpacker - what a life!

Golden afternoon

I finished the second painting begun at Kerrie Lester's workshop- this one is of the enjoyment on a golden afternoon.


It is almost sunset on a summer's day and so beautiful basking in the glow of the sunshine that has lost its searing heat. What could be more idyllic?

People in landscape

On a stinker of a day I attended a workshop by Kerrie Lester a well known expressive painter.


It was quite fabulous despite the heat. The main advice I took home was to work the entire painting and no outlines etc. People should be incorporated in the picture from the start and not plopped in as an afterthought. Also being expressive means to interpret what you feel from the scene. The freedom to actually paint gesturally - I always thought that my life drawing was best when it was gestural. No need for fine detail- leave it to the viewer to fill in the dots.

The added bonus is that it's finished so quickly- I actually did two and gave myself an early mark to recover from the heat.