Well I'm back from the Flinders Ranges and already I miss it. I know I haven't even scratched the surface there and I look forward to travelling there again.
24 new colours in total and some of those really surprised me, from light green through to subtle blue.
The highlight of the trip was a visit to Iga Warta in the northen Flinders. John, an Adnyamathanha man who grew up there, took me and my family out to the ochre pits and very kindly allowed me to collect some of their sacred ochres - red, purple, yellow, white and olive.
The ochres are very important to indigenous culture. For tens of thousands of years and into the present day they have been used as currency for trade, in spiritual rights of passage, as medicine and in initiations and other ceremonies. To be permitted access and insight to these colours is a great honour and I am very appreciative.
I've processed the majority of colours and I'm over the moon with my new palette. I'm painting with some of the oldest pigments the planet has to offer, pigments that have come through a gulf of time I cannot begin to fathom.
