WEST TO WINTON

Posted on June 29, 2022 by splashingpaint

A workshop in Blackall and another spread between Longreach and Winton saw us load up the truck and head off to central Queensland for six weeks. The country was incredibly green after all the rain and flooding. Many roads were still closed and venturing off the bitumen was a slippery, muddy exercise.

Silos on the road to Roma

This old pub at Wallumbilla looks less than inviting soaked in rain and surrounded by mud, but the local graziers couldn’t be happier.

Retirement green confusion – Morvan.

Early morning – Morven waterhole

Disused railway crane – Morven

Camping out of Tambo was a little tricky – where there wasn’t grass there was thick, sticky mud.

Sunrise through a layer of fog, Tambo

Union Hotel Blackall – still sells cold beer, but not much else

The weekly cattle sale in Blackall saw some fat’ healthy cattle, happy sellers and not so happy re-stockers.

Lisa and Bruce, from one of the big sheep stations out of Blackall, invited us out to see the end of the shearing.

These guys work flat out, fired up by loud, fast music, high demand and and a competitive attitude.

Shearing their way through several thousand sheep is hard, back breaking work.

Ancient Technology from the Isisford Picture Theatre.

Drowned caravans camped in the Barcoo River, Isisford. Ignore the locals at your peril.

An empty paddock next to the old Langenbaker House in Ilfracombe made a great place to paint

DC3 at the Qantas Museum Longreach

Retired Catalina at the Qantas Museum

Before the workshop in Winton, Dianne and I went out to the clay pans at Bladensburg to find a painting location

Willy Mar’s old market garden store, Winton

We painted Willy Mar’s old truck (now up on blocks next to his old market garden and store.

We spent a morning in the old Bladensburg woolshed painting the ancient wool press.

This was the demonstration painting I did. (Couldn’t help using Phthalo Green!)

Looking west towards Winton – an unusual sea of lush, green grass

At the Winton Dinosaur Centre, volunteers work tirelessly separating rock from fossil to reconstruct the skeletons of dinosaurs.

After the Winton workshop Dianne and I headed back out to Bladensburg to camp and watch the sun go down.

Heading east, we found this lake with amazing sunsets and fantastic birdlife.

Our camp, just visible from the top of a nearby hill

Sunset one side, full moon the other.

ON TO FLORIDA

Posted on October 2, 2019 by splashingpaint

Our workshop at Dillmans was a lot of fun – catching up with old friends and meeting new people. We were a couple of weeks early for the full Fall colors, but White Sand Lake is spectacular any time.

Great View from our cabin on the lake

Sandhill Crane – Dillmans

From Dillmans we headed over to Boone, North Carolina to meet “Cheap Joe” Miller – What a great guy – A real gentleman and character, the only person I know that can play Pachelbells Canon on a specially tuned wooden stick

Rocking Chairs on Cheap Joes Studio Verandah

Cheap Joe’s Workshop Studio is fantastic – lots of space, great light and a big overhead screen and camera

Beautiful old wooden Barn near Todd NC

Todd General Store and Bakery, near Boone NC

Bob and Tom – Irish Pub, Bradenton FL

Great to catch up with Joe Costanza in Florida – Crazy sense of humour and lots of great stories

Curious Squirrel

Gulf backwater near Mobile AL

Tupelo Honey

Old fish processing building as the sun rises – Apalachicola FL

Fishing Floats

Sad to see the Hurricane damage around the Gulf of Mexico. This, once grand, building in Apalachicola has an optimistic ‘Opening Soon’ sign, that appears to have been in place for quite a while

Old Jetty – Cedar Key

Cedar Key – Bar on the water as the sun goes down

Cedar Key

Roseate Spoonbills – Cedar Key

Pink Ibis

Young Herron

Egret

NORTH TO SCOTLAND

Posted on October 5, 2018 by splashingpaint

All Images © John Lovett 2018

Following our workshop in the South of England, Dianne and I hired a car and set off north to Scotland via Wales and the East coast of England. We set off in fine, sunny weather, but part way through Wales things turned damp and cool, gradually deteriorating to wet and cold as we headed North into Scotland. This change in the weather made walking unpleasant, but the dramatic skies, fog and wet landscape sure made for some great photographs.

Exmoor Ponies

Young Exmoor Pony

North West across the water.

Bottom of the hill – Robin Hood’s Bay

Whitby Abbey

Forgotten Hull – Boddin Point

Bayside Cottage

Boddin Point Fisherman’s Hut

Stonehaven Sunrise

Across the Moorings – Stonehaven

Along The Shorehead Road – Stonehaven

Dunnottar Castle

Last Drinks – Lovat Arms Hotel – Beauly

Blanket Clouds
Winding down the mountain

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle

Small holes in the sky

Clearing

LONDON B&W

Posted on August 27, 2018 by splashingpaint

What a lot of fun to wander around the city of London with a little, inconspicuous camera…

Big Red Bus

Brompton Cemetery

Victoria and Albert Museum

Royal Albert Hall

The Royal Box RAH

Lunch at the Hop Pole

Earl’s Court Station

Tate Modern

Small patch of sun – St. Paul’s Cathedral

Boats on the Thames

ON TO TOMBSTONE

Posted on June 14, 2018 by splashingpaint

After the workshop at Tanque Verde Ranch, we picked up a hire car in Tucson and headed over to Tombstone. The old town is still pretty well intact, but relies heavily on tourism, so has a bit of a theme park air about it. Lots of cowboys, bar girls and guns, but the old historic locations are all well preserved and very interesting.

From Tombstone we drove out to a few old ghost towns and abandoned mining towns in the region. We discovered some great old buildings in various stages of decay.

Rain across the prairies between Tucson and Tombstone

Main street Tombstone

Cowboys on the boardwalk

Stage coach into town

Stage coach out of town.

Some local beer and wine in the Crystal Palace, followed by a mighty meal and a band that didn’t play cowboy songs – well not many anyway!

Beautiful old Hotel on mainstreet.

Well preserved backstreet cottage.

Not so well preserved facade from more recent times.

Slowly crumbling cottage in the old mining town of Gleeson.

One of the last surviving cottages in Gleeson.

Once a thriving business – now part of Gleeson’s collection of decaying buildings.

Remains of the old Gleeson Jail – no wardens, no prisoners but plenty of patriotic flags.

Well preserved store in the old town of Pearce

More – of I don’t know what?

SAN FRANCISCO

Posted on October 24, 2014 by splashingpaint

San Francisco was a busy couple of weeks – 10 workshop days and plenty of good restaurants, bars, shows and museums to see. Fantastic catching up with old friends and meeting new students from all over the US and beyond – a great couple of weeks.

Powell street cable car

Union Square

Bay Bridge

Fire Boat under the Bay Bridge

Red’s Java House

Jimi Hendrix’s Red House, Haight Street Haight Street power pole – staples accumulating since the 60’s.

Medicinal Dope – Haight Street

Skull Exhibition – San Francisco Academy of Science

Air Show over Alcatraz celebrating Fleet Week. Blue Angels – doing crazy things very fast.

The Stinking Rose – Garlic seasoned with food.

Under the Golden Gate Bridge.

USA16497 San Francisco is dotted with (mostly) immaculately kept Victorian architecture. Some awesome, but not so immaculate. How to squeeze more into a pickup truck than should really be possible. Jack’s Bar – Cannery building Fisherman’s Wharf.

Fog over the Golden Gate.

NEW YORK

Posted on October 12, 2014 by splashingpaint

After our workshop at Dillmans we went New York to rest and relax before two San Francisco workshops. We didn’t do too much resting and relaxing, but had a mighty week with Dane and Zoe, visiting bars, galleries and restaurants all over Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Greenpoint mural