Join us for a jam packed day of drawing and exploring in the West MacDonnell Ranges designed to spark your creativity and curiosity.
Start the day with a hike around the Ormiston Gorge Pound. Revive your senses with a cold swim through the wild water at Ellery Creek. Lean interesting facts about the landscape, and follow a series of dynamic art exercises with your artist-guide, Anna Dakin.
Both locations boast beautiful waterholes, which are wonderful for swimming, and breathtaking views to paint and draw.
This class is for everyone, from beginners to experts. It is a great opportunity to look more closely at the landscape and really resonate with Central Australia’s unique landscapes. We spend time getting to know the place well, rather than rushing through many places.
What to Expect
We will pick you up from your Alice Springs accommodation between 6 – 7am and drive 135km west to Ormiston Gorge, our first destination.
We will start the day with an 8km hike through the picturesque “Ormiston Pound” where diverse landscapes of ghost gums and spinifex reveal vistas of Mt Giles, and views favoured by famous Central Australian painter Albert Namatjira.
We will split the walk up into manageable sections, easily achievable by anybody with a medium level of fitness and good balance for rock hopping, by stopping to sketch regularly.
The walk finishes at the Ormiston Gorge waterhole, where you will have the opportunity to swim before enjoying a healthy lunch, and a quick sketching session.
We’ll hop on the bus and head to Ellery Creek, for an afternoon of relaxation by the most beautiful waterhole in the desert! Swimming through the breathtaking rocky red gap to the other side of the ranges is a must for anyone brave enough to face the cold water (with a floatation device), as the bio diversity and unique layers of rocky red strata are an artists dream.
We will take our time here and make a couple of drawings and watercolour paintings of the trees and unique geological features, before heading back to Alice Springs. We will aim to arrive by 6pm, after a jam packed day of exploring some of the most powerful landscapes in Australia.
Transfers from Alice Springs
Snacks + Light Lunch
Basic drawing + watercolour supplies
Step by Step art tutorials designed for beginners to intermediate artists.
Group size between 6 – 12
What to bring
- 3 Litres of Water
- Backpack for hiking
- Sturdy Shoes suitable for hiking
- Swimming costume + towel
- Cool clothes for summer
- Warm clothes for winter
- Wide Brim Hat
- Sun Screen factor 50+
- Fly net (no fly spray, it pollutes the water)
- optional: own art materials