Cape Raoul

Cape Raoul will forever mark my first bush walk after moving to Tasmania. It's located at the bottom of the Tasman Peninsula and the westernmost of the three Capes, Pillar to the south-east, and Hauy rounding up the east.

Upon first laying eyes on Raoul's dolerite bluffs I was determined to return with my paints. This particular view is the first glimpse of the ocean after about a 2 hour hike through various environments each featuring unique characteristics coinciding with its particular elevation. To the left a pudgy echidna sniffs through the brush in search of vibrating ants and to the right a flock of yellow-tailed black cockatoos conduct a how-to-crack a pinecone convention.

But what lay ahead was sublime. It represented more than a stunning view but a sense of the ruggedness and mystery that I romanticized about from California. It symbolized vindication. To try and describe its features only seems to detract from its grandeur, but with the help of numerous bush walks, gouache studies, and sketches I made this painting.