This painting draws from a memorable stretch of the Heysen Trail — the 26 km section that winds through the native woodlands of Cleland National Park, Horsnell Gully and Giles Conservation Park, before dropping down towards Montacute Heights.
As I made my way through the valley of Horsnell Gully, I encountered the remains of early settler life: the stone cottages and outbuildings established by Charles Giles and John Horsnell in the 1840s, nestled in the bush.
What first captured my attention in this landscape was the soft veil of mist settling over the distant hills, blurring their edges and giving the scene a quiet stillness. In contrast, the foreground glowed with autumn colour catching the light.
