WHAT'S NEW — canvas

PAINTING WALGETT IN SUNRISE SONGS, STORY BY CHRISTINE ONWARD 20

Welcome to a new series of outback stories promised to you a long time ago but repeatedly delayed due to my obstinate perfectionism (or procrastination,equally true). After a year of struggles and too high expectations from my side, I decided to let thoughts flow by freely and memories write by themselves in the way they want. I hope they eventually make sense to a point where I will be excited to tell the next episode and you will be eager to return and read it.

The journey I wanted to write (and paint) about took place a year ago in the outback Australia, more precisely in the northern part of NSW. It lasted 7 weeks and it was a blast!

For a person coming from the green pristine Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe, working in the bare fields of the far-far-away Australia was undoubtedly a challenge I was prepared to face. The huge emptiness of space, the scorching temperatures, the summer's dead bushes, and the desperation to survive of all living things had such a huge impact on who I was to become!

To honour the occasion, I decided to lay each meaningful experience of the outback in a painting. I wanted to add together the old me and my world as it was before back in Romania, the astonishing colours of Australia, its depth of landscapes, the victory of living- all in a series of paintings, celebrating me – the me I had become.

"Walgett-Sunrise Songs", painting by Christine Onward . More details Here

Walgett on the map, 650 km away from Sydney, right at the gate of the Australian outback

We arrived in Walgett late in the night. The drive to the town had been slow and challenging. 100 km on dirt road, the dark night around us, kangaroos jumping back and forth ahead of us, and a GPS with personality only made the trip seem to last forever.

We made it to Walgett after midnight. Streets were dark and quiet, not a single man passing by. Shops had iron grills at windows and lights were off. Even the motel entrance had iron gates, secured with a big lock for which we had to recall a long code and still debate the numbers an hour later in the dark.

Dinner was quite frugal: cold chips from an early breakfast at the petrol station, wrapped in an oily paper and tasting like old jelly, some cheese, too sour from the heat, and the usual beer, to help us fall asleep.

Baby Caesar spending the night with us in a NO DOGS room (who can swear he is a dog though, most of the times he behaves like a human) 

I slept that night in Walgett with the windows open to let the scents of the eucalyptus trees come inside. A bird kept shouting sad songs in the empty night, kept talking to me, and I let the sadness sink inside, because there was no escape, only the red road, over and over again until the end of my days...

THE SUNRISE SONGS

Photo taken close to Walgett - dirt road on the way to the property of Mungunya 

Morning; 5 o’clock rise. I can still feel the taste of eucalyptus essences on the lips and bird's sad song in the ears.  

Shirt on, boots on, cap on, insect repellent and a lot of sunscreen spread to whatever spot left uncovered. Bags back in the trunk, work instruments in the ute; time for one more long drive in the unknown.

I panic and I want to cry, as I always do when I think of unknown.

 “It's just an adventure, I say, and who doesn’t like adventures”…

And off we are, this yet ANOTHER day...

The flowing artesian waters of Mungunya

Right outside the town of Walgett I opened eyes on a big sun rising from the bushes. Few cows grazing quietly under a tree, doves’ songs coming to life from all around the bushes… and suddenly I feel I am part of it. I do belong. And there is nothing in the world that can take this moment away from me: the place where I first belonged.

Living the life of the outback: unspoiled beauty and endless reds

On the radio a song starts. I want to imagine it as a sign for me, and for everyone else who was welcoming the day in song of birds and golden rays of sunrise: Only a fool breaks his own heart…

The start of a new day with Walgett left behind

THE PAINTING

Naive art, painting by Christine Onward | Facebook | Instagram |. More details are Here.

I ripped through the bare red of the desert to let the magic of the moment come to life: the day when I BELONGED.

I added flowers in the empty trees of Walgett, and I added leaves with golden dots to shine happily in the sun.

The red dust, I turned it into lands of merry colours and joyful patterns, the way I knew them to be like back home in the Carpathian Mountains.

And all the sunrise songs and happiness of living, I gathered them together in this fantastic bird with golden feathers.

There is always a victory in us, we only need to find it.

After all… only a fool…   

THE IMPERFECTLY PERFECT IN ART- Sussi Louise Smith talking about growth, colours, and passions of life 35

If I was only allowed to use one word to describe Sussi Louise's art, it would be the word INSPIRING. There are a thousand other words in my heart to use, of course (happy, bright, cheerful, unique, moving, ...) but it does seem to me that INSPIRING includes them all. That is because every time I see Sussi's works, I want to be like her: I want to be a ray of sunshine, despite all the rain; I want to be a song of colours, and I want to give others smiles, just like she does.

Today my greatest hope is that you feel inspired by Sussi's sparkling personality and her extraordinary artwork too. And when you do, allow your heart a smile. She painted it for YOU.

 The happy art of Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

 The wonderful Sussi:

"I have been painting and illustrating for almost 30 years.

I developed this particular style through a dream I had while I was expecting my first baby.

I have synaesthesia, which, to a certain extent, means "a mixing of the senses". For me it means that I read really fast and in vibrations; that's why I worked in academia for many many years.

For my art however it is extra special because sounds have colours and colours have sounds and emotions. My energy has colours and vibration, my emotions can have light and smells. It may sound weird, but it makes total sense. Really, it does!

"Reading in wintertime is like having chocolate after a long walk". Find these rocks at The Grove Bookshop Ilkley where Sussi is campaigning for the encouragement of children to read more 

Synaesthesia also means that I am very sensitive to signals and energy therefore these are what I usually paint.

I have a saying that my soul paints through my musical heart and hands. And very often, this is true: I look at things I have painted and I think: "Wauaw that is nice, I wish I could paint like that!"

Beautiful colours and so much joy! Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

I paint because my soul tells me to, but really, I am a writer and a helper. For now I just happen to write in colours.

I believe that I can make a difference by caring. I care: I care about you. Me. The ecosystem and the wind. I am a lover not a hater.

When I was caring for my dying parents and my husband with cancer (he is still with us, thank God), I found out that by painting next to them they felt happier. And in the hospitals and hospices other patients felt the same.

Colours and shapes for happy times. Original design by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

I started to exhibit in medical practices. They would contact me and I would ask what they were specialising in. Based on that, I would then tune the artwork into that community of practice.

I also have a travelling mini-exhibition that helps people who need a smile and dream themselves in my worlds for a while. They can have the paintings on their walls for up to six months.

Something very important about me is that about three years ago I made a pledge to the Action for Happiness Organisation: to paint for smiles and not because I want to get rich (not that I wouldn't like to have some more money). Just to let things flow out of my hands and hear what the heart has to say.

In this way my hashtag #sussishappyartproject has reached from Hawaii to Australia, from Iceland to South Africa and from young children to 97 year olds. I have painted pebbles for gravestones and Christening. I write stories for autistic children and grown-ups with depression. If that's not being blessed I don't know what is.

Action for Happiness: paintings by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

I have lots of training as an artist but no formal education, apart from a year in college, when I was 22 and I was studying to be a teacher. I have taken courses in all kinds of styles and techniques. However, for me my truest voice is the Naïvism. It's where I feel the light at its brightest.

Naive art: rocks by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website | 

The main mediums I use are watercolour and acrylics on paper and canvas. I also paint on stones and walls, porcelain, and fabrics; basically anything.

For some reason my stone stories are very popular and I really appreciate this. Clients tell me a story about themselves or the person they love. Sometimes they send me pictures and I proceed with painting their story on a stone. And that is such a beautiful honour for me. The grace and divine love they show for their loved ones and the fact that they entrust me with painting it really make me the luckiest girl alive!

Stone stories: naive art by Sussi Louise Smith | Facebook | Instagram | Website |

The personal expression of my art is so true, so raw, so deep. And it is eternally grateful. So who cares if my rocks are not perfect?

They are IMPERFECTLY PERFECT " :

Sussi and I are welcoming your comments in the section below. Also you can make inquiries or add info on: rock_street@yahoo.com.