More trees 45 years apart

This was a bit harder to tell, and it's the only other painting I have remaining from 1968, painted in the winter when there was a little bit of rain in the creek.... it's far different today,  very dry and things have changed but I'm pretty sure these are the same trees.

the 1968 painting, current photo, and a painting to be developed more.

Virginia

today's oil portrait of Virginia, 16 x 20... I stopped at 80 minutes

I couldn't believe it!

after almost 6 days in the one place I was vacating to some real accommodation at Rawnsley Park Station, and  one of the last things to do was to fold up my easel. I gave the little wing nut a quick flick with my hand, my normal method to speed things along... only to my surprise some pressure seem to catapault it away and though I heard it plop down a meter or so away...  after over an hour of searching I had to give up looking for it, though I did come back on a couple of occasions to resume the fruitless search...
Fortunately I had brought two easels just in case something did happen to one of them.

even the emu's seemed to wonder what was going on!

On the initial trip in 1968 I don't think I even knew what a box easel was, I did have a tripod easel and carried everything else!

some Flinders plein air paintings

wind flies and changing light were some of the difficulties encountered in painting on this trip, but here are a few shots of paintings in progress

same trees 45 years on

it's a long story but in January 1968 my brother Denis and I set out in a little Austin 30 car to paint pictures. We headed towards QLD but changed our minds half way and headed to a place in South Australia we had vaguely heard of called the Flinders Ranges.

The little car which was laden with painting gear that I had been accumulating over a year,  and camping equipment, developed a problem of jamming between 2nd and 3rd gear... which we finally solved by driving only in 3rd and 4th gear.

We asked a friendly local at the Hawker garage where the good scenery was and he  told us that the Moralana Track had good scenery... and that the road was good!!! ... 20 miles of dirt track and bouncing through dry creek beds later, with me jumping out to help push the car up the creek banks in  100 degree plus mid Summer temperatures left the car with broken springs, no exhaust pipe, tyres peeling and a fan that had seized up and couldn't turn the fan belt... or turn the generator... or cool the engine, and it had to be push started in 3rd gear!

We camped on the bank of the Arkaba Creek near Rawnsley Bluff and once a week I would hitch a lift into Hawker for a few supplies, usually with the daily truck from the Barytes mine. At Easter we eventually sold a few paintings to the Smith's, owners of nearby Rawnsley Park Station and were able to drive to Adelaide to commence the next stage of our artistic journey.
I had my 21st birthday camping there and at that time we didn't own a camera to record any of the scenery or our experiences there.
.
I have always wanted to go back there with Denis, but unfortunately he died a few years ago... and I  finally made the trip back there this last week or so, camping not far from our original campsite and traversing familiar territory.

I was moved to recognize a pair of wonderful gum trees that I had painted 45 years ago, still standing in much the same condition... and sketched another version... here are the  gums painted as a 20 year old in 1968, though I modified the background later, a photo of the trees as they stand today, and my latest sketch of them.

Madison

Saturday's portrait of Madison, 80 minutes oil painting on 16 x 20 linen panel

Tony

last week's portrait of Tony, after a bit of extra work on it, 16 x 20 oil

and a 24 x 18 oil sketch from the Sunday Life Drawing group

Paul

today's portrait of Paul, a bit under 2 hours 16 x 20 oil

Charlotte

this week's 20 x 16 oil portrait  sketch

20 minute life drawing with Conte

Cassie

today's oil portrait of Cassie 24 x 18, 2 hours

some things I have been working on in the last week
some amendments to last week's portait of Yvonne

15 minute carbon pencil life drawing

trying to decide on the background of a portrait of Brian

from the Sunday life session

Asu

today's portrait of Asu,  lovely African/Philippine student at the Uni here,24 x 18 oil,  about 100 minutes

recent portraits

I seem to have missed the last couple of portraits from the group sessions
Shawn 20 x 16 Oil

Tom  20 x 16 Oil

self portrait 24 18

another version

another version of last week's portrait, using the first one as a reference

Shiba

today's oil portrait of Shiba,  Oil 16x20 about 2 hours

Steve

today's oil portrait of Steve, 20 x 16 a bit under 2 hours

Grahame

yesterdays  portrait of Grahame, 16 x 20 oil about 2 hours

Jenny

Saturday's portrait was of Jenny Lloyd, who is one of the artists sharing the Piggery Lane Studios
Oil 20 x 16

The Piggery Lane Studios will be open this Saturday as part of the Autumn Festival... with the adjoining Earthcare Fair, and the Secret Garden Autumn Fair all open... with Food, Music and Activities.

I am trying to reorganize my workspace and display

Hawkesbury Show & latest Portrait

some of  the paintings I'm putting into this week's Hawkesbury Show

and after hanging paintings all morning to help set up the Hawkesbury Show, we painted this sitter in the afternoon

Latest

a portrait from Saturday's portrait group, about 2 hours

and one that I have been working on with my weekly 'tutoring' session

Georgy

Saturday's  20 x 16 Oil portrait of Georgy, about 2 hours

Painting the Mayor

The 2012 Archibald Prize finalists exhibition is currently being displayed at the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery and a number of local artists were invited to paint a portrait of Hawkesbury Mayor Kim Ford. He sat for the portrait in the gallery on Tuesday 12th February... not in his mayoral chains and robes!
... and the portraits will be on display at the Gallery after the 23rd.
here are a few action photos... and how  my painting  finished up.