10.09.08

by Sonja Chalmers

The Bough House - a traditional painting place for the local Artists.

Art Article

Stockmen Tommy Bloomfield and David Bird have built a beautiful traditional Bough House for our Eastern Desert Artists. The Artists have longed for a large traditional dwelling in the outback in which to paint - place where they would feel comfortable and relaxed with the atmosphere of the bush all around. Within a couple of weeks of commencing the project, a beautiful Bough House emerged - a large round house approximately 19metres in diameter with a gumleaf -thatched roof and hessian sides. Next to it Tommy and David erected a small shed where we - myself and Elsa (our energetic English backpacker) - mix paints, prime the linen and make snacks and tea for the women. On Mondays the women come to paint at the Bough House. Their families join them and the day is spent meeting and chatting with people from the surrounding communities. The male artists always prefer to come in, collect their primed linen and take it back to the camp to complete.

Stockmen Tommy Bloomfield and David Bird have built a beautiful traditional Bough House for our Eastern Desert Artists. The Artists have longed for a large traditional dwelling in the outback in which to paint - place where they would feel comfortable and relaxed with the atmosphere of the bush all around.

Within a couple of weeks of commencing the project, a beautiful Bough House emerged - a large round house approximately 19metres in diameter with a gumleaf -thatched roof and hessian sides. Next to it Tommy and David erected a small shed where we - myself and Elsa (our energetic English backpacker) - mix paints, prime the linen and make snacks and tea for the women.

On Mondays the women come to paint at the Bough House. Their families join them and the day is spent meeting and chatting with people from the surrounding communities. The male artists always prefer to come in, collect their primed linen and take it back to the camp to complete.