Menindee Lakes in far western NSW are an incredible system of nine lakes created to support irrigation, stock and supply Broken Hill with water. When full they team with birdlife and activity. I painted the lakes on my way to an art residency in Broken Hill.
TITLE Menindee Lake Blues and Pelicans
MEDIUM Acrylic/pencil on board
SIZE 30cm x 30 cm
DATE 2024
DESCRIPTION
Menindee Lakes near Broken Hill NSW are a series of nine lakes on the Darling Rover created for irrigation and supply the township of Broken Hill. When full they are a mecca for birds especially pelicans (my favorite bird). On a clear sunny day the lake reflects the blue of the sky a stark contrast to the surrounding reds and oranges of the land.
TITLE Colour Splash Menindee Lakes
MEDIUM Acrylic/pencil on board
SIZE 30cm x 30 cm
DATE 2024
DESCRIPTION
The Menindee Lake system sits atop a desert landscape with the vivid hues of the landscape contrasting against the blue of the lakes on a clear sunny day. There is forever movement on the lake from the birds, the wind or as the sun moves and changes the light. As part of a series this piece tells another story of the lakes their colours, and life in the desert.
TITLE Greens of Menindee Lakes
MEDIUM Acrylic/pencil on board
SIZE 30cm x 30 cm
DATE 2024
DESCRIPTION
Menindee Lakes near Broken Hill create a thriving home for birds and fish when full, with pelicans the most prolific. As a series of nine lakes, each is unique in shape and size, with colours changing with the light. Set against the backdrop of a desert landscape the lakes appear surreal. This piece forms part of a series capturing the unique shapes, colours and lines of one of the lakes where green dominated the reflections on the water.
TITLE Menindee Lake Sandbars
MEDIUM Acrylic/pencil on board
SIZE 30cm x 30 cm
DATE 2024
DESCRIPTION
The Menindee Lake system are shallow with the rises and falls of water levels shifting the sands and exposing sandbars as the levels drop. Shaped by the prevailing winds this sandbar formed a horseshoe holding back some of the water reflecting the vivid blues of the sky.
TITLE Pelicans of Menindee Lakes
MEDIUM Acrylic/pencil on board
SIZE 30cm x 30 cm
DATE 2024
DESCRIPTION
The lakes when full are a mecca for pelicans who float up and down the shoreline, roost in the partly submerged trees, and fly in and out on their hunt for the fish, shrimp and other aquatic life that fill the lakes. The lakes themselves take on shades of green or blue sharply contrasting against the red and orange sands of the desert.