The
Painting:
Andrew and his dog "Beau" live and work at Kroombit Park, a
working cattle property located just to the west of Biloela which provides
homestay and camp facilities.
I stood and watched the duo as they raced across the paddocks rounding
up a group of horses. Beau ran flat strap until weariness got the better
of him and he'd take up his position on the bike behind Andrew. Then off
they'd go again - hat flapping and dust flying. Apparently Beau is just as
comfortable on the rump of a horse as he is on the trail bike, and Andrew
changes his boots from one to the other.
The title of the painting "The Spirit Lives On" came
as it struck me that from generation to generation the same spirit endures
- the love of the bush and the land, the bond between man and animal. I
placed the hazy images of drovers from another era behind to emphasize
this. There might now be different ways of achieving the same results -
but the same Australian character is evident.