Teachers Pet
From Perth to Adelaide on the Prospector and Indian Pacific ( The view from the train)
Travelling and art are generally good companions and one thing you notice looking out the train window on this journey is the horizon line, mainly because there is little else to be seen, yet from an artists point of view the horizon line whether it is out at sea or in a landscape painting it is one of the most important aspects of a composition, the vast Nullarbor Plain stretches between Western
Australia and South Australia. Virtually uninhabited the Nullarbor today is crossed in comfort in a few days by train or car but was once regarded by many as an unknown wilderness, many art teachers quote the rule of a third with the horizon either one third down from the top or one third up from the bottom as the way to go, but like all things in art, rules are meant to be broken, and with that in mind I thought this article would be a good time to explore this rule together. Also later in the article I’ve included a few of my sketches and notes from my trip into northern goldfields.
With my water colour above (the view from the train) I have used the one third rule quite unconsciously hoping the heavily layered sky adds a little drama as it meets the horizon. It was only on reflection later that I realized how much the horizon line can affect a composition, and in a painting like this becomes your focal point. So this first painting as with (Fig 1) on my little thumb nail series above demonstrates the one third up rule (a low horizon)
Next a watercolour, Jack and Jill (windmills) high on the South Downs just outside Brighton in England, this painting serves my purpose well with its horizon line slap bang in the middle, this is also reflected
in the thumb nail at the start of this article in (Fig 2) and proves my point that rules are meant to be broken. Demonstration – a central horizon line. Tip: Drawing of a filing cabinet drawer. Imagine a filing cabinet with its drawer pulled open and many files in the drawer select one of the files as your horizon line and use the other files as stepping stones into and out of your work. Each file may then represent a shadow on the ground change of elevation or distant vegetation, and for the sky each file could represent a change of tones as the sky recedes into the distance or banks of clouds any thing that leads your eye into and out of the painting.
Seascapes often have a very high horizon line emphasizing the ocean and breaking waves or very low horizon highlighting a moody sky or sunset, and these same compositional principles often works well with landscapes that extend off into the distance, as with ‘the view from the train window above’ if a dark moody or stormy sky is your aim then set the horizon very low using the drama of the sky as the feature for the work, and just a little foreground to lead your eye into the distance, while when working the other way with the foreground or ocean as the feature lift the horizon up and use the landscape to lead you eyes to the distant horizon. Demonstration - Turn of the Tide, a high horizon line, also reflected in (Fig 3) on my horizon series.
Tip: The horizon line may well be different to your eye line, remember you will need to think about both when contemplating your paintings composition.
So for me out here in this vast flat country the horizon line can easily become the dominate factor and focal point, getting your work to recede and draw your eye to this vanishing point is the challenge, why not have a go, imagine sitting on a beach, you have three separate sheets of water colour paper ready, draw a line one third down from the top on one, on one third up from the bottom on the second and a through the middle on the third sheet , now think about that filing cabinet drawer, and my thumb nail sketch series above, and paint in all three try to get a regressing of colour into and away from the horizon. Just two colours will do, perhaps a blue for the sky and a yellow for the land, or beach, you could paint down too, or away from the horizon, by turning your paper upside down.
The Northern Goldfields
From an artists point of view the Nullarbor plain would seem an unlikely choice of subject matter, just endless sparse landscapes of scrub, rocks and distant horizons by day, while as night claims the prairie, a speckled heavenly canopy settles quickly and quietly, creating a mood and composition few artist could ever hope to match. The Prospector and Indian Pacific trains run from Perth on the west coast of Australia all the way to Sydney, one of the great train journeys of the world, it reaches out across the endless Nullarbor Plain with total disregard for this vast intimidating landscape. While her passengers relax safely cocooned inside, the Indian Pacific rides the rails stopping for no one.
Purposely and single mindedly gathers up the miles. Yes perhaps it’s lacking the romance of the Orient Express, or the majesty of the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer but in its own way still beckons and intrigues her guests with thoughts of the early pioneers and gold prospectors opening up this vast flat country on foot and horseback. Kalgoorlie is the end of the line for the prospector and as far as I go on this trip but I do hope to continue on the Indian pacific train across the Nullarbor to Adelaide another time.
The next morning after collecting my hire car, l headed off intending to drive north into the northern goldfields, it’s just after 9am and the temperature already into the low thirties, when I pulled off the road to visit Kalgoorlie’s famous two-up ring. With two-up you bet on the fall of the coins may be two heads two tails or one of each with a lot of noise and shouting while the coins are in the air ,finding the place deserted l sat in the car and did a couple of small sketches its just an open roofed circular corrugated iron shell and l had to use my imagination for the toss of the coin sketch, while the outside pen and ink drawing I did later from the photo, using my Artline 0.1 acid free pen, I left in the photo so you can see how l strengthened the vegetation at the back of the building to bring it forward and also added the Kangaroos to give it a bit of life,
remember its your drawing and you can adjust things to suit yourself, I drew the Ladies state of the art toilet facility, well its got a roof anyway! which is more that the men’s, that was just two standing sheets of corrugated iron. Then rejoining the main road l drove north in search of the famous Orabanda pub where a retired Western Australian police officer and once landlord, had little chance when a group of bikers came to settle up old scores, the rest as they say is history. By early afternoon and with the temperature well over 40 degrees, l abandoned the old northern gold mining towns and headed back to Kal and my air conditioned motel unit.
In the early days Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie gold miners often arrived out on the gold fields exhausted weeks after leaving Perth still pushing heavy laden wooden wheel barrows, and hot on their heels artists like Mcgovern and Tom Roberts followed recording their labors, disappointments and hard dusty lives in sketches and paintings, The vast Nullarbor plain separates Western Australia the most isolated city in the world from our nearest neighbor over in Adelaide South Australia.
Travelling and art are good companions
Traditionally artists have traveled to every corner of the world to follow their passion recording their adventures through their artwork, and today as with many such interest groups an industry has evolved to accommodate their need, many cruise liners today include a resident artist holding painting classes during long voyages , and escorted coach tours, visit many of the worlds best artistic locations with a professional artist acting as both teacher and tour guide catering for their clients artistic aspirations, while visiting and painting in exotic locations.
Travel is an essential part of being an artist, even today with all our electronic technology bringing and refining photographic images from all corners of the world to our studios, the pleasure of working plein air is both rewarding and spontaneous, resulting in fresh lively work. In this article I’m travelling on the prospector train out to Kalgoolie 6 hours east from Perth to the edge of the vast Nullabor Plain. And from there l take a hire car both north & south into WA historic gold field and mining towns with the intention of sketching something of the wonderful gold fields history,
Day 2 Kalgoorlie with the temperature again climbing to 44 degrees l head south to Coolgardie, to date my sketching adventure has ended up as a photo- graphic trip rather that any a real plein air art work, but friend and well known
“Travel is an essential part of being an artist, even today with all our electronic technology bringing and refining photographic images from all corners of the world to our studios, the pleasure of working plein air is both rewarding and spontaneous, resulting in fresh lively work.”
artist Keith Norris known for his work (Australian Heritage Sketchbook) once visited my studio, and had earlier drawn in Coolgardie while travelling around Australia, l had always wanted to retrace his footsteps in this old gold rush town and draw from the same spot.
Note - When out travelling always grab the opportunity to visit other artists’ studios when ever you see an open sign.
No Barriers
Art belongs to everyone, the only thing that changes is the level of dedication
“Art belongs to everyone, the only thing that changes is the level of dedication and commitment required to progress your ability.”
and commitment required to progress your ability. Recently I did a drawing workshop for the northern districts stroke support group, and found their out look on life so inspirational, ‘’we will try anything one lady said to me’’ As artists we all get so wrapped up with exhibitions, displays, and our own views on art and the best way to paint or draw its refreshing just to watch people enjoying the moment, all 21 had a small sketch book and pencils, laughed and giggled at their own work and that of the artist either side of them. We ended with a photo shoot of some of the work and I thought I would share it with you.