flying over lake eyre ....

One of the highlights of the trip was having a two hour flight over Lake Eyre and the Painted Hills from where we camped at William Creek - I say camped quite loosely here as we were actually in cabins for sleeping, rather than unpack all our gear from the rooftop again!

There is no water in Lake Eyre at present though in 2009, 2010 and 2011 Lake Eyre was flooded and people flocked to the centre to view what is quite a rare occurrence.  For me though, the fact that it was empty meant salt pans and patterns and that was an absolute treat.  A day before we flew there had been quite a wind storm which was grand as it meant the wind blew the sand around up over land making it look like waves washing the shoreline.  The colours were rich and glorious - not really easy to show through glass windows.  

I found much to enjoy in the patterns and marks, not just across the lake, but also in the Painted Hills.  I was in the back seat of the plane on my own which meant I could scamper from one side to the other - an exercise in itself when one is in seat belts and wearing headphones!  This meant many of my photographs were taken into the sun and the results are quite different from the other side of the plane. After two hours and about five hundred photographs I was exhausted.  Almost comatose with effort and delight.  I am not sure the photographs do this justice - photographing through an open door would have been much better but alas, not possible.

I think the world is its most exquisite from a birds eye view.....

desert crossings ....

Hello friends

I am back from the desert wandering .... a few thousand photos taken (nothing like another of the photographers who took triple that number!).  I have been home a few days cleaning desert sand and outback dust from cars, clothes and equipment and now have had a quick look at my photos.  I am going to post in four blocks (how does one chose a few photos from so many) over the next four days so that next week I am clear and I hope to be back in the studio doing some creative work.  Part of me wonders if I can remember how to bring any of my thoughts to fruition ..... will have to exercise some discipline.

Next week I will have time to take a walk through many of your blogs and have a look at what you have been doing.  I had thought we would get reception most of the time we were away, other than in the Simpson Desert, but had forgotten just how vast and empty the centre of Australia is and how far removed from modern technology.  Actually once over the shock of losing communications, it was rather lovely not hearing phones, or having equipment beep as emails came into inboxes.

these first images are taken along Cooper Creek en route to Innamincka where much of the Burke and Wills story unfolds

these glorious cane like lanterns in bleached and dark wood became a feature going through the desert

an evening walk out from Innamincka to explore another of Burke's trees. 

corrugated iron reflection

Andy Goldsworthy dried mud

first evening at Birdsville - playing on big red as sun set

on the other side of dune away from the sunset

gorgeous evening light

evening over the lake alongside big red

colours were exactly like this - surreal

start of the dunes - only 1200 to go!

evening camps in the desert were sublime

I loved all the colours and marks in the salt pans

the boys discussing directions ....

we barely saw any wildlife in the four days crossing the Simpson Desert - not even birds

I loved all these dried treelike lanterns - see images coming some time ...

on the other side of the Simpson we came across a salt pan with water - could have spent hours here!

a wander around Dalhousie Springs where we camped after our Simpson Crossing.  Very large hot springs to swim in - suddenly an oasis for wildlife and vegetation after the desert dry...

scores of cockatoos watching swimmers soak in the springs - washing out desert dust ...

the Painted Desert - pre dawn

the sun comes up - phew, it was soooo cold there waiting for the sun's warmth

my favourite part of the Painted Desert - I took hundreds of photos at sunset.  These are just a few as the sun went down

fun with Fiona and Barry .....

These plates looked such fun, and full of potential .....

We had watched the u-tube demos of cherry soda printing and it all seemed straight forward.  Two hours later, eight of us trying numerous techniques with aluminium foil and aluminium shim, lithographic crayons, soap and so forth had absolutely no result.  We thoroughly enjoyed our coffee, double choc brownies and baby lamingtons, but enjoyed no printing results.  A hoot really.

This set of photographs are of the aluminium plates we prepared -
once we tried to etch them the images disappeared completely.

Nice photos though - images looked full of potential!

After lunch, Fiona guided us into a printing exploration with copper sulphate and salt on small aluminium plates with much more success.  A few prints worthy of re printing, many more which were exciting enough to lead onto other things in the future.

my three plates and resulting prints

one of mine

I think this was Kim's

Steph's etched lines into bitumen stop out

Sonja's snake skin on impress in soft ground

A huge thank you to Fiona and Barry who gave up their time and their home for our play time.  One of the wonderful things about this group, Maleny printmakers, is our willingness to learn and to share.