The Milk Run

The 2025  Almenara Art Prize - Best Landscape and Plein Air Award

The scene is around Charleston in the Adelaide Hills, about 7 kilometers from my studio. It’s late in the day which happens to be milking time.

The greens in the adjacent paddocks and foliage of the trees are complemented by the warm colours in the foreground as well as in the background where the afternoon light catches the golden hay fodder which is scattered over the distant paddock.

The artist leads the viewer's attention from the cows which are closest to the end of the access road where they emerge from the shadows and into the light. Turning at the end of the laneway to the right, they walk single file into the distance, veiled in a dust laden atmosphere giving depth and perspective to the scene.

The sun’s light finds its way through gaps in the foliage to be caught by the trees on the right which are half hidden by the foliage of the central gum tree. This is the anchor for the whole picture, bringing the viewer’s attention back towards the centre.

Art Renewal Centre 18th ARC Salon - ARC Staff Award