Where My Landscape Inspiration Comes From

I’m often asked where I get the inspiration for my landscape paintings. The truth is, unless I’m working on a commission and the client has supplied a reference photo, every one of my paintings begins with something I’ve seen myself.

I’d love to do more plein air painting, but in Mount Isa, there are only a couple of weeks each year when the weather is cool enough to make it possible. So, I take a lot of photos. Since I’m usually up at 3am each morning to paint, working from my own photo references is essential. But even though I’m indoors, I can still feel the essence of the bush—the early morning birdsong, the thump of a wallaroo bounding out of sight, startled by this crazy old lady disturbing its peaceful hilltop vista.

Just this past Sunday morning, my neighbour, my sons, and I climbed the hills in front of where I live. We left in the dark to be on the ridges as the sun rose. Watching the first light slowly illuminate the Mount Isa stacks and the hills behind town is a sight I never tire of. That’s why many of my Mount Isa landscapes feature those iconic stacks in the distance.

There are no walking tracks over these hills, and I’m one of only a handful of people who’ve climbed them. They don’t look too tall from afar, but once you’re up there, navigating the steep terrain—especially coming back down—can be tricky. Thankfully, my trusty walking poles give me spider-like stability on those sharp descents.

I’ve been clambering through this hill range for over 15 years, and each time I end up on a different wallaroo pad, discovering a new area, a different gully, a fresh vista. The landscape is always changing—some years it's dry and bare after fire season, other years it bursts with plant life and blooms you won’t find on the flats.

Yes, I’m sore today. But that high you get from standing on top of the hills, immersed in a world usually seen only by roos and birds, brings peace and balance to my soul. I come home with hands itching to paint what I’ve just experienced—to give others, especially those who can’t make the climb, a glimpse into this wild, beautiful world just beyond the ridgeline.

Have a great week.

Cheers Rowena

Ps Thanks for the photo Marta