January in the Dandenongs.

On the outskirts of Melbourne lies an extinct volcano, Mt Dandenong. The Mountain Ash slopes, the quaint villages and abundant ferns make it a wonderful place to visit for the day or even the weekend, as I did recently. To wake up to a sun rise over the Warburton Ranges and the calling of King Parrots and Kookaburras, is as refreshing as the mountain air itself.

Some of my flower painting have  been inspired by the flowers in the Dandenongs, the little bit of extra rain the slopes receive aid the agapanthas the hydrangeas that no amount of watering can match.

'Agapanthus' Mt Dandenong

Work in progress 'Windflowers'

Whilst my two painting above are not natives of Australia they are certainly abundant in the hills!

My latest painting is taken from a photo of a hydrangea, the natural blue comes from the acidity of the soil and not the variety of the plant. In some corners of the garden the hydrangeas are white or pink, my painting is 4ft x 4ft, mixed media oil and acrylic on linen, it's the largest painting I have worked on and the blues and lylics are extremely calming and I find myself looking forward to my time at the easel. 'Bouquet de Bleu' is a real joy to create, its still a work in progress.

Bouquet de Bleu

Throughout European settlement painters have been drawn to the Dandenongs, some very famous like Arthur Streeton who was a keen environmentalist and lamented the enormous Mountain Ash being logged, something that took down some truly huge examples, rumoured to exceed in height the American Redwoods.

An example of Arthur Streeton's work

So impressive are the Mountain Ash, or Tasmanian Oak, that I am looking for an example to paint, hopefully I will find said example on my next visit to the Dandenongs!


Of course spending a weekend among nature goes hand in hand with chickens, fresh eggs, clucking hens and newly hatched chicks!  Here is a sample of cute 'Backyardians.'













Finally here are my grandchildren with their Uncle Andrew at his home on Mt Dandenong, note his pet chicken below. Another painting project?

That's it for now,

Love Val x