Spring is the time when nature and food production thrives in the Gascoyne. While many crops are being harvested others are flowering and pollinating. Seafood is caught on the moon cycle. The landscape comes alive with bursts of colour and human activity. I have been busy over the last few weeks quickly capturing this narrative while it’s happening.
This fieldwork has taken me to plantations in Carnarvon where I sat among rows of strawberries, capsicums and mango trees in bloom with my paints. I followed the Sweeter banana truck as it collected bananas from growers around the river and I jumped on-board fishing vessels to observe the unloading of their catch at the Carnarvon Boat Harbour. Am I making you hungry yet?
I thought that I would share some of the quick colour studies that I made and photo’s that I took during my fieldwork adventures. With such an array of beautiful and fascinating subject matter, I’m excited about returning to the studio to interpret these experiences into a new body of paintings for my residency with the Gascoyne Food Council
Onboard a Maretarram fishing vessel
Watercolour study of Paul Shain’s strawberries.
Capturing capsicum harvest at Rob Kuzmicich’s plantation.
Gouache study of mangoes in bloom at Calypso Plantation.
Fieldwork capturing commercial fishing in the Gascoyne on-board the Shark Bay Explorer with Pickles Point Seafood in Carnarvon – Artist Sue Helmot
Mangoes in bloom at Calypso Plantation.
Colour study of capsicum Sue Helmot Artist
