Monday, 24 March 2014

Say Hannan's


Oil on board circa 1990

Once again I am reduced to scraping the barrel of my lean body of work in order to post some art work. There has been no lack of creative energy pumping through my veins lately but it has all been channelled into my writing. I took this snap while visiting my mum and dad today as it hangs in their dining room. The colours have come up quite gaudy in the photo I'm afraid.  I had painted the hotel from a photo I took while visiting the gold mining town of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the late 1980s. "Hannan's" was the name of a local beer and "Say Hannan's" was their slogan. There are a lot of places and things in the area that incorporate the name Hannan, due to the first person to strike gold in the area being an Irish prospector by the name of Paddy Hannan in 1893. The town sprung up around the consequent gold rush. In real life the hotel was on a bituminised street in the town but I made up the background by drawing inspiration from some other photos I'd taken of flowering everlastings in the local bushland.

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24 comments:

  1. Unknown24 March 2014 at 04:53

    What a wonderful painting and a very creative thought process behind it. I admire your work Wendy!

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:28

      Thanks so much Katherine. I appreciate your visits and LOVE your work!

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  2. Unknown24 March 2014 at 05:19

    it's always interesting to see artists work from the past. This one looks great! Pretty accomplished to make up a new background! it looks the quintessential Aussie outback town.
    I used to make collages when I was a teen. my fathers house has a couple of them...maybe if I remember I will take a snap of them sometime.

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:50

      Thanks Sally, I was pleased at your compliment about changing the background. I hadn't really thought much about it - although maybe I did at the time.Yes, this is a quintessential outback town that has retained its heritage buildings extremely well. Not that I've been there for a couple of decades now but I believe it is still very much intact.

      I would love to see your collages sometime!

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  3. Celia Blanco24 March 2014 at 09:31

    I love seeing your path as an artist, Wendy. You did a beautiful job recreating a typical outback landscape!
    My parents house is filled with my old work, I should do the same. Keep up the creative flow!!

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:51

      Hi Celia, Yes, I would love to see some of your old work. Are your parents in Italy or America?
      Love your geranium!

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  4. Debbie Nolan24 March 2014 at 11:52

    Wendy - this is awesome. It makes me think of photos from our western states. Love the blue skies and that red orange dirt...just beautiful. So glad you shared. Hope you have a wonderful week.

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:53

      Thanks so much Debbie. I'm glad you like the painting. I hope your week is going well too!

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  5. Loree24 March 2014 at 12:54

    It's a pretty painting with lots of vibrant flowers.

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:56

      Thanks so much Loree! I love your latest photos on your Malta blog!

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  6. Joan Tavolott24 March 2014 at 14:08

    This is so vibrant and rich. Great that you captured a bit of the historical past. Places like this have a wonderful charm to them that attract us. Thanks for sharing the information too.

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:57

      Thanks Joan! I'm enjoying your amazingly prolific blog!

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  7. Karen Johnston Daily Paintings24 March 2014 at 15:45

    This is great...especially having made up the background! That is not easy to do and you have done it so well. It reminds me of when we were in Karratha!

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 00:59

      Thanks Karen, yes, I love the red dirt country wherever it is found.

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  8. Jane25 March 2014 at 01:19

    Lovely painting with gorgeous clouds, and love the color of that dry road leading to who knows where in the distance , beautifully done !

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 01:00

      Thanks so much Jane! Even all this time later I remember how much I enjoyed painting those clouds.

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  9. art by Michael Perchard25 March 2014 at 06:15

    Okay buddy! So I wrote this wonderful comment yesterday and while I was typing the computer monster kept eating up my words! (Maybe that was a good thing?) I will try again!
    Wendy! (So far so good!)
    Love this blast from the past! Love Kalgoorlie-Boulder! The painting is beautiful! The name is also wonderful. Of course I keep my world map ready to check out all the great Australian places mentioned in your blog! Luck of the Irish! Always searching for gold! I love the great color of the soil! Red burnt sienna! So much like the geography in our beautiful southwest! Arizona, Utah, New Mexico !So much like your breathtaking outback! I even like writing the word "outback!" The sound of it sounds so Australian! Your parents must be so proud of you! Artist and author! Oh Wendy, what size is this? Love the fact that you were so creative to make up the background! Good going! (Is that the correct Australian term?) Good for you! Okay Mate now for your art blogging buddies, mainly me, you have to balance your writing time with your painting time! Hint! Hint!
    Take care and thanks for going back to your archives and posting this beauty!
    Your Outback Loving Art Buddy!
    "Michael Kalgoorlie Say Hannan's"

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 01:15

      How I love your enthusiastic comments Michael! I'm pretty sure the photo reference I used for the road was of the road to The Olgas which is in the Northern Territory and around 900 miles from Kalgoorlie. The beautiful red dirt can be found throughout a lot of the outback. The bushes and flowers were from the Kalgoorlie area (I think). Now I feel inspired to unearth the reference photos I used.
      I'm not sure how big it is Michael - probably under two feet wide.
      I think "Good on you" is the term you are after?
      Michael you will be pleased to know that I did take your hint about balancing my writing time with my painting time. Because of you I started a painting yesterday and finished it off today. I think I had gotten out of the habit of painting more regularly because of my sore back, but I shouldn't let it stop me as who knows when it will get better. Thanks for making me take the plunge!

      Your Also Outback Loving Art Buddy
      Wendy

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  10. Helen Cooper25 March 2014 at 13:53

    Great painting Wendy ! Very outback Australia. It really can be difficult to fit in all our creative activities. Not sure if studying the french language is creative but finding the time can be SO difficult ! :-D
    Thanks for the comment about classes. I am thinking of running some workshops, just have to prepare the outline of the workshop. Oh dear ! Something else to fit in!!!

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 01:18

      Thanks so much Helen! Good on you for studying French! It is something I do every now and then but I let so much time pass between lessons I always have to start back in the basic class.
      I'm pleased to hear you are seriously considering doing some workshops - let me know when you get them up and running and I'll see if I can wangle a trip to Melbourne!

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  11. VonnyK26 March 2014 at 16:45

    This painting is fabulous, such rich colours. I know how hard it is to find time to create, seems I'm lucky to snatch a few hours a week these days.
    Von

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    1. Wendy Barrett27 March 2014 at 01:18

      Thanks Vonny, your latest painting is amazingly vibrant. I love what you can do with parrots!

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  12. Anonymous27 March 2014 at 13:41

    A great painting, Wendy. Really good how you came up with the background, it's beautiful! Love the colors. Good luck with your writing :)

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  13. Wendy Barrett28 March 2014 at 02:18

    Thanks so much Hilje! I'm glad you like it. How is your current beautiful work coming along? I hope you are getting some nice spring weather!

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