Broulee: A Walk
I have been visiting Broulee regularly over the last decade, in winter as well as summer. Although these were ‘holidays’, I spent my time as I like to do — exploring the landscape on foot and by eye, and then sketching what I was discovering — sometimes in oil paint, sometimes in pencil or charcoal. In 2022, I realised to my surprise that these works added up to a show.
The title Broulee: A Walk expresses my usual process of walking into the landscape of my paintings, but it also reflects the relaxed nature of this particular series of painting and drawings that seem to amble down a short stretch of coastline, from the dramatic rockface of Guerilla Bay to the gentle estuary of the Tomaga River, up to the headland of Mossy Point, then down past the meeting place of the lagoon to North Broulee Beach, around the island, a pause maybe for a dip in the perfect shell-shape of Shark Bay, and then onto the long stretch of South Broulee Beach...
As well as this coastal part of the walk, I also show something of the hinterland: the ‘suburb’ of Broulee where locals live throughout the year, and Canberrans make their escapes from the National Capital..
As always, while I am sketching, the sounds and smells of the place seep into what I am doing. As well, I often pick up interpretations of the place from the people who live in the area. For example, while sitting for three consecutive days on the headland of Mossy Point, painting the oil sketch that is #3 (‘Mossy Point’), I had conversations with locals of all ages, from surfboard riders to retirees. And one day, when a sudden downpour caused me to seek refuge in a cave below the headland, the landscape gave me the composition for painting # 5 (‘Underworld’). The information for the depiction of families enjoying the lagoon at the outlet of Candlogan Creek (# 11, ‘Meeting Up at the Lagoon’) was gathered over a number of days. Other discoveries happen by chance, such as spotting the echidna making its way down the track to Shark Bay (#25’ Puggle’).
Broulee: A Walk was exhibited at the Basil Sellers Gallery, Moruya, in August 2023 and at Rogue Pop Up Gallery Redfern in October 2023.
1. Broulee: A Walk, oil on canvas, 95 x 124, $9500
2. Shark Bay, oil on canvas, 41 x 122, $5200
3. Mossy Point, oil on canvas, 41 x 120, $5200
21. Looking North from Broulee Island, oil on wood, 7 x 64, NFS
19. Looking South from Mossy Point, oil on wood, 7 x 76, NFS
20. Looking South from Broulee Lookout, oil on wood, 7 x 64, NFS
9. Broulee Island, oil on canvas, 20 x 64, $1500
10. Looking South from Shark Bay, oil on canvas, 20 x 64, $1500
6 Rockshelf, Broulee Island (i), oil on canvas, 40 x 80 $3500
14. Rockscape (ii) oil on canvas board, 30 x 40, NFS.
15. Rockscape (iii) oil on canvas board, 30 x 40, NFS.
16. Rockscape (iv) oil on canvas board, 30 x 40, $1350
13. Rockscape (i), oil on canvas board, 30 x 40, $1350
7. Rockshelf, Broulee Island (ii), oil on wood, 27 x 84 NFS
8. Walking Around the Island (to be shown and sold as set of four), $2800 (i) oil on wood, 7 x 11; (ii) oil on canvas 9 x 48; (iii) oil on wood 7 x 48; (iv) oil on wood 9 x 22
From L to R: 17. Meditation, oil on plywood, 33 x 26, SOLD; 29. Noon, oil on wood, 14 x 20 NFS; 30. After Noon, oil on canvas, 15 x 22, $700; 18. Driftwood, oil on plywood, 24 x 37, $1200
From L to R, top to bottom: 11. Meeting Up at the Lagoon (to be shown sold as set of two) $1500 (i) 9 x 8 oil on canvas, 9 x 75; (ii) 9 x 8 oil on canvas, 9 x 75;28. Hide & Seek, oil on wood, 20 x 24, $750; 12. Lagoon below Mossy Point, oil on plywood, 29 x 38, $1350; 22. The Island, from North Broulee Beach, oil on plywood, 10 x 59, NFS; 31. Sea Jewels, oil on wood, 9 x 15, $550; 33. Ephemera, oil on wood, 11 x 6, $350;34. Carbon from the Fires, oil on plywood 9 x 7 $350; 23. South Broulee Beach, Looking South, oil on canvas, 10 x 48, $850; 32. Board Rider 7 x 14, oil on canvas NFS
24. Shorescape, oil on canvas, 21 x 30, SOLD
25. Puggle, oil on canvas, 19 x 26, N.F.S’
26. Inlet, oil on wood, 18 x 25, NFS
27. Dune, oil on wood, 18 x 25, $750
5. Underworld, oil on canvas, 75 x 58, $4500
4. Rhythm, oil on canvas, 82 x 66 NFS
35. Guerilla Bay, charcoal & pencil on paper, 55 x 77 $2500
36. Back of South Broulee Beach, pencil, charcoal, conte crayon & watercolour on paper 55 x 77
37. James Street Broulee, pencil & charcoal on paper, 55 x 77, $2500
38. The 19th Tee, Broulee, pencil, charcoal, watercolour & acrylic paint on paper, 55 x 77, SOLD
39. Gladys Street Broulee, pencil & charcoal on paper, 55 x 77, $2500
40. McNee Street Broulee, pencil, charcoal, conte crayon, watercolour & acrylic paint on paper, 55 x 77, SOLD
From L to R: 41. Broulee: Mapping My Way In, pencil on paper, 55 X 77, $2500; 62.Rockshelf, Broulee Island, ink on paper, 29 x 19 $600; 46. Broulee Island, Looking Towards Shark Bay, pencil & Indian ink on paper, 28 x 38, $850
42. Guerilla Bay, pencil & charcoal on paper, 41 x 59, $1500
43. Candlagan Drive, pencil on paper, 41 x 59, $1500
44. Extending the Map, pencil on paper, 39 x 57 $1500
45. Looking Towards Shark Bay, pencil & conte crayon on paper, 39 x 57, $1500
47. North Broulee (i), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
48. North Broulee (ii), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
49. North Broulee (iii), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
50. North Broulee (iv), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
51. South Broulee (i), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
52. South Broulee (ii), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
53. South Broulee (iii), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
54. South Broulee (iv), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
55. South Broulee (v), pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750
From L to R: 56. Entrance to Guerilla Bay, pencil on paper, 24 x 35 $750; 59. Rock, Guerrilla Bay, pencil & charcoal on paper, 21 x 30, $600; 58. Rock & Tree, Guerilla Bay, charcoal on paper, 21 x 30 $ 600;60. Tree at Rear of Candlagan Drive, pencil on paper, 21 x 30 $600 ;57. Guerrilla Bay Island, pencil on paper, 21 x 30, $ 600; 61. Shark Bay, charcoal on paper, 21 x 30 SOLD