The truth is I haven't completed the Section 1 walk yet! When my ankle is better that is one part of the track that I will tick off first. I wanted to paint the Tapanappa campground first as I think it is my favourite camping spot so far. The lookout across the coast is just magical and a perfect place to sit when you've finished your walk.
I've actually been to this campground a number of times, and in different states of mind! This view just makes everything feel better, whether you're there alone, with friends, or mobs of school children.
This was my reference photo - taken on a beautiful night, enjoying it with my walking buddies x
The first painting 'sketch' was painted on a 25x35cm canvas board. I always prep my canvas with a brown/sienna underpainting, lightening up the brightest parts of the painting using a rag and water.
I love how a painting evolves the more you look at your reference. The colours in the clouds and the water. You need to train yourself to look at the colours for what they are, not paint what you think they should be. It took until right at the end of the painting that I saw the very distant shape of the coast line. I nearly missed it completely!
I hope you enjoy the time lapse of my first painting 'Tapanappa Campground'. I've already decided this is the one that will be painted as a larger work for my exhibition.
If you are interested in this smaller work, or a print, please visit my Heysen Trail Project product page - this will help support my ongoing works and realisation of my project.
