COUNTRY GIRL

Yes, I am a country girl. I grew up on a grain farm outside Dalby on probably the most fertile soil in the southern hemisphere. The top soil went down 10-12 m and my Father and my Grand-Father before him grew winter and summer crops [sunflowers, sorghum, barley, wheat, maize]. This climatic change that seems to have only been noticed in the last few years actually started in the 60s. My Grand-Father did not miss a crop for decades prior to the 60s. He could be certain that the weather would follow a pattern.

It was my poor Dad who missed the crops due to lack of rain. He took over the farm in the 60s and the weather patterns definitely started to change. It is a soul destroying experience planting seeds on minimal subsoil moisture knowing that the crop will fail if there is no follow up rain. This happened.

My experience growing up on a farm and then living in Goondiwindi for 18 years certainly made me very aware of the vagaries of the weather and the affects of these on farmers. I find myself periodically painting images that remind me of my very early childhood. These memories are of days of soaking rain, thick grey clouds, not being able to see even a few metres when the rain fell heavily, playing in the thick black mud, tanks overflowing, frogs croaking. As I have said before on this blog these paintings are like prayers...prayers for rain, prayers for the planet.

Wet Weather Please Gouache on paper 30 x 42 cm unframed