72 - Discover Journey Explore

Usually my layouts begin with the photograph, but this time I was inspired by "the tall tale" prompt in the Testimony list.  I remembered a couple of extraordinary days in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

I attended a work shop by the uber talented Louise Nelson last weekend, and some this background was created during her expert class.  If you don’t know her art, you might like to pop over to her blog athttp://louise-justloolabelle.blogspot.com.au and be inspired.

All colours used, although the yellow has not photographed well.  

 I wanted a minimalist look to this page, to evoke the sense of space in the outback.

I fell in love with the textures of the landscape and have tried to imitate it here

EVIDENCE

Layering of stamps

Metal cogs  

Something clear - the bubbles

Drawing - the fish (a very crude attempt to show the style of the Aboriginal dot paintings)

TESTIMONY

I chose to write about a tall tale which really did really happen, during a three month caravaning holiday 2012.

THE JOURNALLING READS

We had travelled from Adelaide, South Australia to Mabel Downs, Western Australia, about 4000 kilometres; a base from which we planned to explore the famous Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) National Park. This ancient rock formation was only discovered in 1983 by a film crew. 

We anticipated the track into the Park would be rough, stony and corrugated, but what we didn’t know was there were about 30 flowing creeks to cross as well. Most of them were easy crossings, but some involved deeper water, with a steep approach and random holes to drop into on the way across. The 50 kms took about 2 hours to negotiate. 

I don’t have adequate words to describe the “Bee Hives”, the rock formations we’d come to see. The colours of orange and dark grey, the patterned striations and sheer enormity of  them simply took my breath away.  The vastness of the landscape, the chasms and gorges as well as the silence, created a sense Sacred Place.  

That evening we discovered the front number plate was missing from our car. We asked what we should do about it and were told, just report it at the next police station. On the way back into the National Park the next day we kept an eye out for the it. I stripped off my boots and walked the two biggest crossings, poking around with a stick, trying to find the number plate, but it was nowhere to be seen. Luckily I didn’t find any crocodiles either!

To add insult to injury, we developed a fault with the back suspension of the car, which was a bit worrying. The nearest Land Rover garage was in Broome, 800 kms away.  The photo of me in my Bombay Bloomer shorts is taken from a distance.  I didn’t want to frighten the horses!

We saw so many natural wonders on this trip, but to walk among this ancient landscape, truly was one of the highlights.

MATERIALS

Greyboard - Imaginarium

Chipboard frame - Imaginarium

Atelier - Gesso

Prima - Epoxy Srickers

Ranger Distress Ink - Rusty hinge

Tim Holtz - Sprocket Gears

Tim Holtz - Long fasteners

Tattered Angels Chalk inks - Inchworm, Firefly, Evergreen

Kaisercraft Stamps - Pack your bags collection