At last I am having another creative spurt.This week I have added to my gallery four line and wash pieces and two pastels.

The line and wash ‘River of tears’ series is currently hanging in the Strathalbyn Stationmaster’s Gallery as part of the ‘Splash!’ exhibition (click on Coming events for more information).

I think I enjoyed doing the pastels the most. They were exciting to paint (or should I say draw?), because I thought I’d follow a technique I saw on a video recently borrowed from the library. It involved a certain amount of risk-taking and vigorous mark-making. The results are richly layered, very colourful and deeply satisfying. You should have seen me doing the ‘boulders’ pastel out on my back porch this afternoon – standing with pastel held out like a fencer’s foil, stabbing and slashing at the paper to strains of Leonard Cohen, Tracy Chapman and U2.

detail from ‘boulders’

detail from ‘boulders’

These works are based on photographs taken by my very talented sister-in-law of the country near to her home in outback South Australia.

O.K.