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From the 5th to the 17th of May 2019 I took 25 students to South Australia on a Travelrite International Workshop and Painting Holiday. From Adelaide Airport we met our wonderful bus driver John who drove us up to Wilpena Pound with a stop along the way at Quorn. John was with us for the entire trip and the group got to know him and were very grateful to him for providing information about the places we visited. He was much appreciated for his hard work, kindness, help and humour.
Arriving at the Wilpena Pound Hotel we found our lodgings to be lovely units concealed in the trees with privacy and peaceful surroundings. Meals were eaten in the restaurant. We stayed there for four days and painted a view of the Ranges themselves, the ancient trees in the gulley beside the hotel, the historic 160 year old Wilpena Homestead, the view of the Arkaba Hills that Heysen painted and the Cazneaux tree.
The next three days were spent at Burra where we painted the old copper mine, the creek in front of St Joseph’s Church, Skillogalee Vineyard where we also had a magnificent lunch and then painted in a downpour, Seven Hills Vineyard and Martindale Hall at Mintaro.
Our next part of the workshop was held in Hahndorf for four days and we travelled through the beautiful Clare Valley to get there. On the way we stopped at Maggie Beers to stock up on goodies and to taste test the delights and further on we called in at the great Seppelts Winery to taste lots of other delights. Needless to say we snoozed into Hahndorf and to our excellent accommodation.
Next day we went to famous and acclaimed artist Hans Heysen’s historic property, The Cedars, where we had a tour of his house and studio. We then painted the house from the front lawn under the shade of the beautiful 150 year old Himalayan cedar trees. The next day we went to Strathalbyn for a full day of painting, firstly the beautiful view across the park to the church and in the afternoon a pen and wash of the delightful old Argus House. The final day we went back to The Cedars and had a wonderful morning painting Heysens famous candlebark gum trees around ‘The Shady Pool’ just where he painted the same scene in the 1930s.
25 very happy artists returned to Adelaide Airport after visiting this most beautiful part of the world.
I thank the terrific group of painters that came with me and Joy for her fantastic poem (click here) and of course the wonderful tour leaders Geoff and Jan Whitelock.
Please enjoy the following images of the tour and my paintings.
