Notes from Southwest Tasmania.
In February 2024, I embarked on a 4-day journey into the remote and rugged southwest corner of Tasmania, on board the luxurious Odalisque 2 as part of the On-Board Expeditions Company.
After a 40-minute float plane trip from Hobart, we landed on the expansive waterway of Bathurst Harbour and then boarded the catamaran.
The purpose of the trip was to explore this remarkable beautiful area for the possibility of producing a future solo exhibition.
The small group of eight, including myself, was guided by author and photographer, Peter Marmion, whose knowledge of the area was impressive.
Peter took me out early every morning for photography and colour matching before the sun came up. I was able to work comfortably on the small tender due to the incredibly calm and unusual conditions we experienced.
The tonality and light I worked in wasn’t too foreign for me as Tasmanian Landscape is my main subject. The steely greens of the surrounding mountains to warm greys in the quartzite rock on the shoreline were common sights at Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour.
We even managed a day in which we were able to go out of the Harbour and into open ocean due to the calm conditions. In doing this I was able to look back onto mainland Tasmania and see the scoured coastline frequently hit with 5-to-7-meter seas!
This was an amazing trip with numerous plein air studies, drawings and photographs brought back to the studio.
I’m looking forward to producing a show based on this unique and remote part of the country.
Clifford How
March 2024
