The landscape in the Flinders Ranges and Gammon Ranges has been formidable, red rocky peaks, fields of wild flowers, creating strips of purple and yellow. The weather has been extreme, very cold nights, very hot days, high winds, dust and the flies … But the experience is worth it. One highlight was bush camping in the Warraweena Private Conservation Park. Everyone gets their own campsite, ours was by a dry creek, with massive old river red gums, wattle in blossom, kangaroos and emus wandering by. We have driven some hair raising 4wd tracks and seen majestic gorges and unexpected waterholes, we have made the best beer damper in the camp oven. I don’t have enough time to detail everything, but there are many great moments, and still a week more in the Flinders. The sketches were done often battling the elements (and flies!) so many were very quick. Please excuse the quality, they were photographed on my iPad. Please leave comments, but don’t necessarily expect a speedy response, as I only have limited Internet access!
anna warren portfolio 
Oh Anna such a beautiful collection of sketches .
You transported me from a grey old day in blighty to your hot dusty landscape in a flash .
I can imagine your walks full of stops and turning discoveries over in your hands thinking about colours.., plant names … and errgh those pesky flies 🙂
Keep on enjoying and sketching for yourself and us too !
PS. These photos when enlarged do real justice to your work .
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It is SO different from England Poppy, it astonishes me sometimes, especially having been enjoying the green lush landscapes of the West of England so recently! But I am thoroughly enjoying it, despite the flies, and constantly looking for more little oddities to draw. Thank you – I’m very relieved the drawings look ok enlarged (did you spot the real flies on a couple of them?!)
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Great drawings Anna, must be a fabulous trip, you make me want to be there flies and all. Karen
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Thanks Karen, if you get the opportunity do come out this way, there really are some magical places, especially those a bit off the beaten track.
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Lovely sketches Anna (despite the flies) you will have some great drawings for developing when you get home:)
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Thanks Veronica – yes, ideas are really buzzing in my head for places to take some of these sketches. Today I was photographing an ochre wall, with pinks and browns and yellows, swirling shapes … Couldn’t draw it but there could be paintings in there too!
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These quick sketches of yours would take me hours to get them to look that great! They are beautiful! And the quality of the photos are just fine, too, Anna. Sounds like a fun trip, except for the flies, I guess! 😉
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Thank you Patsy, they have been fun to do (except when I am battling the flies of course!) I hope you are going well with your sketching too.
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I did one at Barnes and Noble last week. I just haven’t posted it yet. Part of it is good, but one lady’s face looks like a pug dog or pig or something!
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That’s what happens! Keep it up.
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Thanks, Anna! I will. I won’t be going there this week, though, because the kids don’t have their class that day, but I actually may go on Wednesday instead. Not sure yet!
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Beautiful sketches! You should definitely publish a book! 🙂
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Thank you, that is very nice of you to say so!
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I love looking at your studies. From them I can ‘see’ exactly what it is like where you are – and of course your words complete the picture. I’m glad you’re having a wonderful time. Heat, cold, flies, camping, dust, wind … nah! You can keep it. Your sketches are beautiful.
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Thanks Julie, you city girl! I’m so glad you can ‘see’ where I am, it’s not always easy to capture it. Landscape painting is really not my thing, but I did want to try and get a little feel for the complete surroundings, as well as the minutiae of flowers and seeds that I am more attracted to. Some of the places we have seen really do outweigh the heat, cold and even the flies (most of the time anyway!)
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So many lovely comments! And I agree! They really transport you to the place! You can really capture the essence of things seemingly effortlessly!
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Thanks Xanth! They are lovely aren’t they, such wonderful people. Glad you like the sketches, there are more to come!
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So lovely. The country diary of Lady Anna.
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Thanks Monica. If you could see how dusty and grubby I am you couldn’t call me Lady Anna, butI aappreciate the sentiment!
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Thanks Monica. If you could see how dusty and grubby I am you couldn’t call me Lady Anna, butI do aappreciate the thought!
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Gorgeous sketches!
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Thanks so much Elena!
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nice drawings Anna – jealous of your trip, not been Flinders but have driven brisbane perth via alice and the outback is the most unique and amazing ive been
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Thanks Jo. You would have a good idea of what we are experiencing. Its different but has the same sort of drama as Central Australia. I am constantly being surprised especially by the quantity and variety of the wildflowers.
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Beautiful sketches, love the mountains and the Emporer Gum moths! Anne McI
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Thanks Rosanne! I didn’t know the name of those moths, I’m really glad to know it. They were beautiful and so big! I’ll have a look at your blog too.
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Anna, your sketches are beautiful. MM 🍀
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Thank you very much Mick.
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Very nice. Have considered doing the same kind of art journal, but haven’t seen anything on my walks worth recording. Somehow the preserving of road litter doesn’t appeal to me.
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Sometimes its just the doing that matters, not the subject – look at the road litter with different eyes, look for colour, shape or form that may be interesting. As you can see, I draw all sorts of odd things, a lot of dead insects, even the ones that are battered and broken on the car’s radiator turn into interesting shapes. This works for me! I’d love to see what you come up with!
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Interesting idea…worth pursuing.
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Delighted to have found you, thanks to Meticulous Mick!
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And I am delighted you did!
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