DARWIN, KAKADU, KATHERINE
We arrived back in Darwin, put our vehicle into storage and met Amanda and Gordon, our tour guides, at the Mindil Beach Markets. After wandering around and watching the sun set into the ocean, we all headed back into the city for dinner.
Monday, the 26 people that form our group got to know each other over drinks on the balmy veranda of the Holiday Inn.
Tuesday, our first painting day, we headed down to Government House , spread ourselves out on the rolling lawns opposite, and filled in the morning painting under the shade of a banyan tree.
The afternoon was hot, so we found a shady spot opposite our hotel and painted the fringe of vegetation between us and the Arafura Sea
Off to Kakadu and three days at Cooinda Lodge, Our coach driver had a tremendous knowledge of the aboriginal people of the area, having lived and worked with them over the years, He took us around Nourlangie and filled us in on many of the aboriginal customs and beliefs.
Nourlangie
Whistling Ducks – Yellow Waters. Except for the fact that these guys are walking around, they are the most artificial looking animal I have ever seen. They don’t like getting wet either, happy just to stand beside the water.
We watched this Croc cruise past our boat accompanied by a large Barramundi with a death wish.
Red Lillys – It may not look like it, but every bit is edible!
Pair of Jabiru (Male with dark eye)
Cruising Black Cockatoo – they fly slowly in formation like a flock of B52’s on a mission.
Wetland Waterlilies
In the afternoon heat, an old Akubra in front of our lodge was a more comfortable option for a painting subject. Just so things didn’t become too comfortable, we limited ourselves to just two colours.
Home Billabong at Cooinda Lodge was dotted with shady clearings looking across the water – great places to paint.
Home Billabong – Cooinda
If this little fellow hadn’t hopped, we would never have seen him
South Alligator River, meandering across the wetlands
Arnhemland Escarpment
Ranger Uranium Mine
South to Katherine
Gold rush architecture, Pine Creek NT
Another shady Banyan tree, this time in Katherine
Some transparent watercolor washes and a lot of pale Ultramarine Gouache made this demo a lot of fun.
Splashes of Alizarin, ink marks, charcoal pencil lines and fine rigger strokes suggest a lot of complicated detail without being too descriptive.
Splashing Paint 
Very beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I like the fusion of image and art in your post!
Thanks howbigspill,
glad you are enjoying the blog.
John
Aloha John,
Beautiful work, and a very interesting site. I look forward to visiting again.
Thanks Mark,
Glad you are enjoying the blog.
Cheers,
John
Really impresive painting !! Beatiful paintings.
I’m an advertising man that left painting for make business, but trying to recover the times lost.
Your painting is an inspiration !!
I’m bookmarking your blog.
Best regards,
gabriel
Hi Gabriel,
Glad you are enjoying the paintings. I will continue to upload more as time permits.
John
i LOVE UR WORKS! AWSOME!
Thanks jEN
I love your pictures!
Wew! I wish I could go to a place like yours!
Thanks ade
Amazing pictures!
At first I thought this post was going to be the usual field trip report with girls squeeling everywhere seeing the boy they like in cool clothes and stuff like that.
But turns out to be an amazing picturesque post!! I’m amazed at those paintings you (and your friends?) create. The edgy splashes and the combination of the watercolor is -speechless-
Anyway, what kind of camera did you use? XLR? I’m quite convinced what ever it is, it’s not digital cam..
I wish I can go too Darwin ;a;
Hi Juveniliare,
Thanks for your comments and I’m glad you are enjoying the blog.
The camera I use is a Pentax K20D. I’ve had Pentax film cameras for years and have accumulated some great lenses. Fortunately all the old pentax bayonet mount lenses are still compatible with their SLR digital cameras. My new favorite lens is a sigma 10 -20 mm lens designed for digital SLR’s – really wide – you have to watch your feet don’t sneak into the shot!
John
that looks great. can I join?
Thanks floris,
Catch us in Margaret River!
John
Good Collections yaar…
Thanks Packer
John,
Thank you for sharing such amazing inside in to our country. Allowing the group of Artists to see true beauty of the Land.. To teach them watercolour with significant, depth and two colours is certainly a learning curse.
Barbara Fleming
Happy Painting