Australian Outback Paintings 1

“Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field”. Eccl. 5:9. Australian Outback pastel painting by Sian Butler. Tracts4free.WordPress.com

Australian Outback and other Australian landscape paintings in pastel and watercolour by Sian Butler. Free paintings to download, print and share.

New: Outback pour paintings by Sian Butler and Laya Clode.

April 2019. Sian has worked together with my sister Laya Clode, to produce some wonderful pour paintings. These capture the essence of the colours of the Outback, including both Central Australia, and the colours of the Kimberleys in North Western Australia.

“Outback Colours 1”. Pour painting by Sian Butler and Laya Clode. Acrylic on canvas. Free to download, print and share.

I think that these pour paintings really stimulate the imagination!

Of course different people will see different things, which is half the fun, but to me, I see salt pans, rocks, and an ephemeral river slowly sinking into the sand. Just wonderful! It could also be a slice of beautiful polished rock from somewhere in the Outback.

Sian preparing for a pour with Laya. I think it is wonderful that at the age of 81, Sian is still producing knockout paintings. Photo: Laya Clode.

I could not help myself and had to push the boundaries with this painting in Photoshop, to produce the “Great Barrier Reef” image below.

“Great Barrier Reef”. Acrylic pour painting by Sian Butler and Laya Clode, I manipulted this painting in Photoshop elements to produce this version – I think there is a wonderful synergy between Sian, Laya, and myself when we work on creative projects together. I will hopefully do a similar higher res version, when I have a higher res photo to work with.

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Outback Colours 1. Pour painting by Laya Clode.

In this painting by my sister Laya Clode, I am instantly transported to being in a plane flying over the Outback, perhaps to see and share adventures with my brother, Bryan Clode, who works as a remote area nurse in remote parts of Australia.

I see rocks, sand, and a lake on the right with an algal bloom, attracting pelicans and other water birds.

Moment of truth. Photo: Laya Clode.

Below is a gorgeous painting inspired by the colours of the Kimberleys, a product of the synergy between Laya and Sian:

“Outback Colours 2”. A magnificent pour painting by Sian Butler and Laya Clode, inspired by the colours of the Kimberleys, North Western Australia.

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Portion of “Outback Colours 2” by Sian Butler and Laya Clode.

Rivers, rocks, and pools evaporating in a sandy river bed. Just amazing!

Of course, I had to interfere and manipulate this painting in Photoshop, see below. Make of it what you will!

“Magenta Pour”. Painting by Sian Butler and Laya Clode, interfered with by David Clode.

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Please see the new page (under construction) of my sister Laya Clode’s fabulous and exciting pour paintings.

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Talents… use them! Jesus tells us to use our talents in the parable of the talents. Photo and poster: David Clode.

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Sian Butler – landscape and seascape artist

My mother, Sian Butler, is a world famous and highly accomplished artist, excelling in watercolour (perhaps the most difficult medium) as well as pastel and charcoal. Sian has mastered a wide variety of subject matter, and the Australian Outback and other Australian landscape scenes featured here are just a small fraction of her work (click on “Outback Paintings 2”, “Homestead Paintings”, “Australian Outback Church Paintings” and “Elephant Paintings” buttons above for more of her work). She has travelled extensively throughout Australia, and all around Australia, and the paintings are from first hand experiences.

Kangaroos in a wide brown land. Pastel Australian Outback panorama by Sian Butler.

Recently, (Jan 2015) this page has come up in second place on Google USA, (search terms “Australian Outback Paintings”) second only to the National Gallery of Australia, and number one for “Australian Outback pastel paintings”. This is a fitting and well-deserved result for all the effort Sian puts in to capture the essence of the Australian Outback. Sian’s Australian Homestead paintings are now first on Google USA.

Outback panorama by Sian Butler.

Sian is very talented and is also a poet – see the pages “Australian Bush Poetry”.

Old Outback church. Painting by Sian Butler.

For more about Sian, click on the “Australian Outback Paintings 2” button at the top of this page, and see “About the artist” near the bottom of that page.

Thanks also to my brother Bryan Clode, for photographing some of Sian’s paintings. Bryan is a nurse who works in the remotest parts of Australia, mainly in Aboriginal communities. He is an excellent photographer, and I am very pleased to say that you can now see some of Bryan’s brilliant Outback photos here: http://reforestation.me/photos-australian-outback-1/ . Also, for a stark contrast to the Australian Outback, see Bryan’s and my seascape photos at “Photos Tasmania”, at my other site https://reforestation.me

“Bay of Fires”, Tasmania. One of Sian’s new seascape paintings. Pastel seascape painting by Sian Butler.

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AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK PAINTINGS

Inland Australia has a stark beauty, with a harsh climate, and rather than good and bad

Australian Outback homestead in sepia by Sian Butler – see the Australian homestead paintings page.

years, it would be closer to the mark to say that there are good and bad decades. The men and women who attempt to farm in the Australian Outback are positively heroic.

The intense colours of the soils, rocks and sky have inspired many artists. Watercolour is well-suited to the softer light of Northern climes, while the fierce sunlight of Outback Australia is perhaps best captured with the vibrant colours and the dry and dusty texture of chalk pastels. Having said that, Australian artist Albert Namatjira produced wonderful Central Australian landscapes in watercolour, and British artist Margaret Evans brilliantly captures the atmosphere of Scotland in pastel.

The artist Sian Butler.

When I look at Sian’s paintings I feel like I am there. I feel like I can walk into the painting and walk around the landscape.

A new painting below (December 2018), which was featured on Unsplash.com:

“Nature’s Gold”. West MacDonnell Ranges, Central Australia. Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler in pastel.

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“Mountain Blush”. Central Australia. Pastel by Sian Butler.

People from some parts of the United States and some parts of Africa may see some similarities to where they live. Sian’s paintings are available for you to freely download and print for personal use, and to share and bless others, but do not sell them or use them for any commercial purpose – she retains full copyright.

“Australian Outback Track”. Pastel painting by Sian Butler.

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The Olgas. Pastel Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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Outback Boabs. Painting by Sian Butler in pastel.

Boab trees are most unusual looking trees. The Australian Boab Adansonia gregorii is related to the African Baobab Adansonia digitata, but most Adansonia species are found in Madagascar (6 or 7 species if I remember correctly). Perhaps seeds from a Madagascan species floated over to Australia, or perhaps seafaring people brought them here. In any event, Boabs are now an iconic part of the Australian Outback landscape. The similar-looking Bottle trees Brachychiton spp., are also fascinating. Of course, Australia is a land of iconic trees, including eucalyptus trees and wattles.

Life-giving water, Outback scene. Australian outback painting in pastel by Sian Butler.

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Mount Conner, Central Australia. Australian Outback art by Sian Butler.

Sian’s original paintings have a brightness and freshness about them, which does not always reproduce well on the screen. Also, it is difficult to capture the brilliance of the medium (pastels), or the brilliance of the colours of Australia for that matter, so a couple of versions of some of the paintings are presented on these pages, in a mostly futile attempt to capture the vibrancy of the originals.

The desert blooms near Mount Conner. Pastel Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Australian Outback pastel painting by Sian Butler.

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In her poem, “My Country”, Dorothea Mackellar portrays her intimate understanding and love of Australia:

“I love a sunburnt country,

a land of sweeping plains,

of ragged mountain ranges,

of droughts and flooding rains” 

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“When He utters His voice – There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries”. Jeremiah 51:16. Tracts 4free.WordPress.com.

 Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler – another photo/version of the painting below:

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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“…He causes the winds to blow,

and the waters flow.”

Psalm 147:18b.

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“For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched gound shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water”. Isaiah 35:6b,7a. Australian Outback painting. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler – another version below:

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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“While the earth remaineth,

seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat,

and summer and winter, and day and night

shall not cease”

Genesis 8:22.

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“The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice; Even with joy and singing”. Isaiah 35:1. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Pastel painting of Outback Australia by Sian Butler.

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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“Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest”. Jeremiah 5:24. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Outback Australia pastel painting by Sian Butler.

Australian Outback pastel painting by Sian Butler.

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Is. 35:6b,7a. “For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert, The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water”. Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Australian Outback pastel painting by Sian Butler.

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“For He draws up drops of water,

Which distill as rain from the mist,

Which the clouds drop down

And pour abundantly on man.”

Job 36:27, 28.

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“He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into water springs”. Psalm 107:35. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Pastel painting of the Australian Outback by Sian Butler.

Australian Outback in pastel by Sian Butler.

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“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth”. Psalm 121:1, 2. Australian Outback painting, by Sian Butler. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Australian Outback painting in pastel by Sian Butler.

Rainbow Valley. Australian Outback pastel painting by Sian Butler.

Outback Australia painting by Sian Butler.

“For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you: Fear not, I will help you”. Isaiah 41:13. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Australian Outback watercolour painting by Sian Butler.

Watercolour painting of the Australian Outback by Sian Butler.

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“Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has stretched out the heavens…” Isa. 48:13a. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Outback pastel painting by Sian Butler.

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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“The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever”. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

For more paintings of Australian homesteads and African homesteads by Sian Butler, please click on the “Australian Homestead Paintings” button at the top of the page.

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine Eye.” Ps. 32:8. Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler. Tracts4free.WordPress.com.

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler (pastel).

Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler.

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“Walking in the Outback”. Western Australia. Australian Outback Painting by Sian Butler.

If you are not familiar with them, emus are the second largest bird in the world, almost as big as ostriches.

“Two’s company”. Emus, Far North Queensland. Australian wildlife painting by Sian Butler.

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“The Way Through” Western Australia. Australian Outback art by Sian Butler.

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“Gidgee Trees”. Outback New South Wales. Pastel artwork by Sian Butler.

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“Only bushes and birds remain”. Western Australian Outback painting by Sian Butler

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“”For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.””

Isaiah 55:8, 9.

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“You will show me the path of life;

in Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand

are pleasures forevermore”

Psalm 16:11.

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“Gum trees in the mist”. Watercolour painting by Sian Butler.

Sian has always excelled at painting trees, from Cedars in the Cedarberg in South Africa, to Boabs and Eucalyptus trees in Australia. To be in a Eucalyptus forest in the mist is a magical experience. I think the paintings above and below also have a hint of oriental ink brushwork about them.

Crimson Rosellas. Mountain Ash forest, Victoria. Watercolour painting by Sian Butler.

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A couple of links which may be of interest:

livestock farmers may be interested in visiting my site http://reforestation.me , especially the page http://reforestation.me/animal-improved-dung-fmnr/,

for ideas about protecting yourself, your property, and livestock from bush fires go to Reforestation.me and and click on the fire shields page,

Some Australian wattles have edible seeds, and some species have been a great success in the arid Sahel region of Africa, providing more abundant food, food with higher nutrition, especially protein, and last but not lest more food security: http://www.worldwidewattle.com/infogallery/utilisation/sehel.php.

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Australian Outback Panorama. Pastel painting by Sian Butler.

For more of Sian’s paintings, click on the button “Australian Outback Paintings 2” in the menu bar at the top of this page.

Uluru. Pastel painting by Sian Butler.

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One of my sister Laya Clode’s artworks – what she describes as a “quirky and naïve” treatment of Uluru. It seems to me that the exuberant landscapes and seascapes of Australia naturally lend themselves to a naïve art, such as the art of Ken Done.

Uluru. Artwork by Laya Clode.

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Thanks very much to Sian and Laya for freely sharing their wonderful artworks!

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