Acrylic on canvas

Signed on the front.

I painted this 'en plain air', a French term meaning I painted it outdoors while camping in the Northern Territory bush.

The scene is at the second gorge, Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge), Northern Territory. We live in Katherine and as part of my work at the local Catholic School we had a tour on the gorge and pondered the connection of indigenous people with country and the message from the Pope inspiring us with a spiritual connection with place and to care for our land.

I was inspired by the colour of the land, the reflections in the water and the textures of the trees and rocks.

As I work I am concerned with mark-making, to capture the feeling of a surface, which may contrast with the surrounding textures. For example, in this work I have used a variety to tools to scrape and work with the paint to build up a textured surface representing the trees, which you can see in the detailed image. This built up texture contrasts with the smooth, serene surface of the water and reflections.

I am influenced by Doug Wright, an Australian painter, with his textural approach and strong use of colour. Also, the Australian Impressionist tradition, specifically Roberts, Streeton and McCubbin.

This work is not stretched or framed. It comes safely in a tube. The work will require framing, which you can order through Bluethumb or any picture framer or handy person can do.