I thought about creating a painting which showed a typically Australian bush or desert landscape. But I didn’t want to create something sentimental and romanticised.
 
Instead I have painted a beach scene. Something the majority of Australians identify with (most of us live on the coast). Even though we might live in big cities, we still have access to the most beautiful beaches, seascapes, walks along the water, and the chance to have a really refreshing dip early in the morning.
 
At Bronte beach early in March, people were doing the usual thing - walking, swimming, running, catching up with friends, checking their phones, sunbathing, people watching. It was 8 am, the shadows long and the colours heightened. It was going to be a hot day. The waves were rolling in. Most people were swimming in the “Bogey Hole”, protected by rocks at the southern end, or in the rock pool.
 
Many of us are so privileged here. To have these opportunities to get away, cool off, switch off, not too far from home, to have peace and security. I wanted to show this positive aspect of our country. Imagine what it would have looked out before white invasion - pristine.