Emu Run is a surreal interpretation of Opalton 120km west of Winton, a place shaped by heat, colour, ancient geology and the strange beauty of the opal fields. The landscape glows with intense reds, oranges and yellows, capturing the feeling of a hot, arid day where the land seems to shimmer.
The work features bonsai-like ghost gums clinging to cap rock, spinifex reimagined as soft water beads scattered across the ground, and two emus moving through the centre of the composition like quiet travellers in an otherworldly desert.
Created over three months, this illustration was built slowly through detailed layering, fine 0.1mm ink dots and vivid water colour work. The result is a dreamlike outback scene that blends observation, memory and imagination, celebrating the unusual textures and forms of Western Queensland’s opal country.
Size A2 42cm x 59.4cm
Portrait
Cotton rag paper 310gsm
Archival ink