
My sketch Killalea headland
The Farm was a familiar term growing up with a surfer brother. When we arrived at our painting site today there were two guys, greying, with boards on their racks checking out the surf. They never lose their love of surfing -any conditions, any age. Today was the first time I saw The Farm up close. I hadn’t realised that Killalea State Park held this sacred surf spot on the coast.
I love that trot that surfers break into – board clenched under their arm, leg-rope dangling, hair dripping, their sleek wet-suit uniform dense against the green. They canter, the cold from their wrinkled wet feet protection against the gravel.
We cooked sausages and onions on a wood bbq at lunch time- it felt like summer today. There were so many different flocks and types of birds -black cockatoos against the blue blue blue sky. I painted with gouache on paper with memories of my brother Michael. I wondered if any of those greying surfers were Little Mick, or Tightarse, or Brooksy – all those older surfers who I use to lust after as a teenager, who called me Grub.
As a final note when we left later a parade of older vintage cars rolled along the road where the surfer had run back to his car earlier. The vintage Jag and MG had no roof racks for boards, no dusty wagons for paints and easels but glistening rims and chromish mirrors.
We’re all different flocks
This was a re-post of an earlier blog, after a recent sketch trip back to The Farm.
A lovely, humane, relaxed post. I hope we get to see some of your work from this day soon.
Thanks so much Faisal, we returned again last week so hopefully I’ll write something of that day. I’ve been really inspired by this place in quite an unusual way. It’s amazing what being immersed in a landscape can do for you.
ask a surfer about a wave or a spot and you can see there eyes light up.