Different Kind of Desert – Square Paper Print

Artist Statement

This large painting (originally over 2m tall) was part of an exhibition I did at the Courthouse Gallery in Port Hedland, entitle “Floribundus” in 2014 which then toured to Perth as “Beyond the Fenceline”. It was a statement piece that included many of the flowers that featured in other paintings of mine in the exhibition. Interestingly, this was my very first exhibition to include all native Australian Wildflowers – a subject I hadn’t painted much before that time.  I have been painting native birds and flowers ever since!

Botanical Description

Most of Western Australia is officially desert, receiving less than 25 centimetres (10 inches) of sporadic rainfall annually. And deserts are usually arid, with sparse or no vegetation. But Helen Ansell grew up in a ‘Different Kind of Desert’. right out in the middle of this state where flora grows in amazing amounts and diversity. Acacias thrive, as do Eucalypts and Hakeas. And there can be a profusion of wildflowers, including Sturt Desert Peas and many varieties of Daisies. The flora has adapted various means to cope with its harsh environment. And when rain comes it burst forth in colour, as encapsulated in this painting.

Helen Ansell Fine Art Paper Print – also available as a Square Canvas Print