Fragments in Time

Away from the more populous parts of the Australian landmass, landscapes are characterized by vast expanses, dominated by sky and land supporting somewhat scattered vegetation surviving in the arid and semi-arid climates which prevail.
I have enjoyed many a unique experience here. The quiet solitude, the strength of the changing colours and the harshness of the light, all attract me to explore the intimate details of this landscape. Too often, apart from the vegetation the landscapes appear lifeless, where harshness wins. It takes time to seek out the secrets held. Sometimes a spinifex mouse, sometimes a reptile, sometimes a kangaroo. Sometimes, however, the evidence of life is found in the remains of a past existence. These are vestiges of what has lived. Walking through the landscape reveals the traces of these lives and makes one ponder about the complexity of life in such ecosystems.
This painting tells the story of a walk just out of Broken Hill, where exploration of the landscape revealed in small detail the story of life in a harsh environment.