Latrobe Regional Gallery. February - June 2026
Commissioned by Latrobe Regional Gallery, Earthsong was a comprehensive survey of Gippsland landscapes. A painted essay of adoration, my work is a deep dedication to local landscapes; both in composition and materiality - as I am committed to handmaking my own paint using carefully collected natural pigments. The themes of stewardship, impermanence and conservation underpinned the exhibition which featured large scale ‘earth’ paintings, smaller en plein air works in oil which were mulled using natural pigments. The show was accompanied by my own recorded nature sounds and a custom room fragrance designed with Koonwarra based perfumer Cygnet Perfumery. The exhibition also hosted an ephemeral sculptural element - hand formed Japanese style earthen spheres which were installed in the open courtyard to devolve as exposed to the elements throughout the course of the show; highlighting my use of natural materials and their cyclic life.
Earthsong invited visitors to breathe deep, pause and immerse themselves in the landscape within the gallery. Offering a reprieve from the busy-ness of life, to take a ‘bush walk’ through the paintings, and gently reflect on the precious landscapes we share.
En plein air survey of Gippsland
Paintings made en plein air in hand mulled oil paint with earth pigment. An homage to the Australian impressionists, the rich heritage of Australian plein air painting, and traditional techniques in paint production throughout art history - (all with an earth pigment flavour).
A cross section of the vast and varied West, South and Central Gippsland landscapes. From Loch to Hedley, Corner Inlet to Mount Baw Baw.
By the clicking of soldier crabs and cooing of black swans (Bullock Island Corner Inlet.
Where bellbirds greet you (Henry Littledyke Reserve Poowong)
Home (Loch from Cape Horn)
The mosquitos almost carried me off (but I stayed for the xanthorrea) - (Gelliondale State Forest Hedley)
Kelpie Corner (Yarragon South)
If I stayed longer I might have become one of the kangaroos (Bullock Island Corner Inlet)
Looking for crayfish (Ritchies nature reserve Korumburra)
The sun on my back and a dog at my feet (Lake Narracan Newborough)
When the deep gully feels the fleeting brush of sunlight (Lyrebird nature reserve Mirboo North)
Balancing on a rock, with everything in my hands (including my life). Thomson dam from Mount Saint Gwinear
One tree hill (Korumburra from Bena)
The mushroom rocks (Mount Baw Baw national park)
Painting en plein air at Bullock Island. Courtesy Biodiversity Legacy Project.
‘Earthsong’ ground earth pigment, charcoal, copper verdigris and binder on canvas. 220x175cm.
‘The Stewardship of Ants’ ground earth pigment, charcoal, copper verdigris and binder on canvas. 180x150cm
‘Of Rocks and Trees, of Skies and Seas’ ground earth pigment, charcoal, copper verdigris and binder on canvas. 220x175cm
‘Vantage Point’ ground earth pigment, charcoal, copper verdigris and binder on canvas. 220x175cm
Immersive exhibition elements
Earthsong was intended to create a rejuvenating gallery experience reminiscent of a walk in the bush. Considering how multiple senses could be activated by bringing the sounds and smells of nature into the gallery was an essential component.
Earth song audio
I created a sound-scape of recordings taken while painting en plein air around Gippsland. By layering over 70 short clips of frogs, birds, insects and water sounds I built a rolling, unobtrusive accompaniment to the exhibition that invited meditative listening and thoughtfulness.
Earthsong room scent
Created in collaboration with Cygnet perfumery, the Earthsong fragrance was designed to smell of broken bracken, petrichor and earth. Using patchouli, eucalyptus and white cypress, Sondrine and I crafted a calming essential oil blend to hold and transport gallery visitors to a deep gully, where tree ferns tower and damp earth supports abundant life.
Door mural
‘The Door to the Forest (for Ellen Lyndon)’
Mural painted on entry door to Gallery 3 and Earthsong exhibition at Latrobe Regional Gallery. Ground earth pigment on primed internal solid timber door surface.
Dorogango ephemeral sculpture installation
Over 400 hand formed clay and earth pigment spheres formed a continuous sculptural thread throughout the exhibition, representing the materiality of earth in my practice, and the cyclic nature of nature and natural materials. The majority of the spheres were installed in the open courtyard adjacent to the gallery, exposed to the wind, rain and sun, and over the course of the exhibition they devolved to piles of pigmented powder, and eventually washed away.
“Sky Mountains” 100x300cm, ground earth, charcoal and binder on canvas.
“Last Light” 180x150cm. Ground earth, copper verdigris, charcoal and binder on canvas.
Studio installation within gallery space to demonstrate process
Photos courtesy Latrobe Regional Gallery , Karli Duckett (The Good Side) and Sherise Oldham, SODA creatives.