Exhibition: A Bit Further North

Milton House Gallery : 8th October to 16th November 2022

It was a brave call by big-hearted Mackay local Brad Short to assemble a motley crew of artists (some southerners from NSW!) and invite them to depict the beauty of tropical north Queensland. The artists were privileged to enjoy rarely seen landscapes and seascapes with the benefit of their host’s knowledge and enthusiasm. The artists included Chris Langlois, Tim Allen, Steve Lopes and Rhett Brewer, with North Queenslander Ron McBurnie balancing the skew with some local talent.

Any winter painting expedition is a good one when you can wear shorts and thongs, and we were certainly blessed with good weather. It must be mentioned that none of the great works you see in the show would be possible without the inspiration and hard work of Brad’s best mate and fine expedition leader, Brett Griffin. He took the artists on a tour of his ‘backyard’, the majestic waters of the Whitsundays, imparting his knowledge of the region’s secret seas, bays and rivulets. Brett grew up here, taking to the seas with his father from the age of 3. Hopefully, through the works in this exhibition, you can appreciate some of the magic we experienced with help of Brett’s understanding of the region.

The artists were talented enough to make these gorgeous paintings but, unlike Brett, they mostly lacked the skills to stand upright on a boat. Most managed to fall head first into the ocean at one time or other while trying to hop on and off the boat with their painting gear! The show’s title ‘A little further north’ is a tip of the hat to legendary Australian singer-songwriter Graeme Connors, a proud Queenslander and writer of hit songs celebrating his hometown of Mackay and the nuances of the tropical paradise he calls home.

From our base in Seaforth, we travelled around the Whitsunday Islands and traversed parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Magnificent locations like the Shaw Island region and Pentecost Island were standouts. It was fascinating to go where Captain Cook had once sailed. Travelling hundreds of sea miles, along the way we saw dolphins and sea turtles, and ate our packed lunches on secluded beaches where we painted the days away.

Brett and Brad would fish while we worked, and we would come home to a warm meal. There may also have been the odd drink or two. A couple of times when we returned from a hard day’s painting, Graeme came over to sing us our own private backyard concert.

This trip was a truly inspirational experience, which is hopefully echoed in works in this show. Witnessing the beauty of untouched areas and the majesty of the Great Barrier Reef imparted a respect for the lands that our First Nations people have cared for, for thousands of years. It taught us as artists and as people to respect the beauty in our own backyards too, and the rare qualities that makes our country unique. We certainly were privileged to travel a little further north to engage with this beautiful part of the country and represent it in paint.

Written By Steve Lopes