The age-old rocks known as the “Devil’s Marbles, or “Karlu Karlu” in a local language, are a sculpture in progress. Starting in the dawn of time as a flow of magma, the granite was covered by layers of sandstone. As it was pushed to the surface by tectonic action it cracked into angular blocks. Over centuries the hard edges were smoothed by water and air, the sharp edges softening to rounded forms. Chemical erosion continues to refine the artwork, as thin layers flake away bit by bit.
The reference photos used for this painting were taken during a road trip we went on as a family just after the Millennium Drought. The blue desert sky formed a vivid backdrop for the golden blooms of Graceful cassia, the purple flowers of Emu Bush and the burnt orange of the boulders themselves.