Like so many artists I made work in response to the 2019/20 summer bushfires. The fires really affected the landscape around Canberra.
I visited burnt out areas in Kosciusko National Park and along the highway between Braidwood and Batemans Bay. I had never seen the landscape like it, despite growing up in the Blue Mountains where bushfires are common.
The views I painted were all from the road, as access into the burnt out areas was restricted. I had intended these paintings here as a starting point for a larger series, but then covid hit and I could no longer travel to the national parks.
I have since returned to the areas painted and they are wonderfully covered in green foliage.
Kate Smith Artist 