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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…   

Embracing life in meaningful ways - exceptional artist LIONA HOTTA talking about her artistic journey and the launch of an exciting new on-line learning opportunity 34

Dear friends,

Today's article will take you on a journey into the life of a once rebel "undisciplined" child who grew up to be an exceptional mandala artist praised for her talent all around the word.

As you all know, Liona Hotta's extraordinary art distinguishes itself from others' for its sensual explosion of colours, perfection of shapes, and the vibrant positive energy it contains. I hope you enjoy seeing part of her creations depicted in marvelous photographs throughout the article.

How Liona started this amazingly inspiring career not only as a painter, but also as a musician, here is for you to find out. 

Mandala art by Liona Hotta | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube |

Who is Liona Hotta and how did she grow up to be the artist she is today?



I like to think of myself as a person who wants to express herself through multiple forms of art.

Since very young I loved singing, painting and dancing. These arts were very present in our home, and although we were growing up in a demanding agricultural community, all members of my family were or are still practicing some form of art. It’s no wonder that I ended up marrying an artist (photographer) and now we share the love for that art too.

Artist LIONA HOTTA (photo credit to photographer Tomoyuki Hotta)

As a little girl I was a rebel. Since I was a non-diagnosed dyslexic, I had to go through hard times being called a brilliant but undisciplined child.

I continue to be very untidy and unorganized. I always listen to my feelings more than my brain. Time has taught me though that I needn't apologize for my carelessness and better continue to listen to my heart.

This coming June I will be celebrating my 50th birthday and I am truly happy with who I have become and with what I do.

Mandala art by Liona Hotta | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube |

Apart from painting I also perform as a singer. I am blessed with the companion of a number of talented artists who play with me in our concerts.

Over the last 3 years our band, Liona & Serena Strings has been immersing in a Sephardic music project, with which we traveled and performed all over Spain, in so many beautiful locations and theaters. This year we also had the pleasure and honor to travel and perform concerts in India (Kolkata, Delhi, Goa) and North Macedonia. 

Liona and Serena Strings music band | Youtube | Website | (photo credit to Tomoyuki Hotta)

With such a busy singing career, and having to travel such long distances, how did you actually find time to start painting on rocks?

My romance with stone painting started when I was hosting intuitive vocal workshops.

I was looking for a way to make little personal presents for my students who were about to finish a course I was teaching. I decided to search for ideas on the magic internet and this is when I fell in love with mandala painting on little stones.

Mandala rock art by Liona Hotta | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube |

It did change tremendously.

At the beginning I was only painting at night. I immediately noticed that my sleep was improving as I was falling into it easily and peacefully. 

Later, as I was making mandala-dotting part of my daily routine, I could see how it was also helping me relax and center.

              Exquisite art by Liona Hotta | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube |

At first I was just counting dots. This came to me as a natural habit that originated in the need to assure symmetry while painting (I discovered I loved symmetry).

Soon I realized I was thinking of absolutely nothing while dotting - my mind was quiet for long minutes. It became my only meditation habit (oh, I’m such a restless person I could never sit and meditate like everyone else). 

Later I began listening to music, practiced guided meditations and affirmations while painting. Pretty soon I noticed how my whole life was changing - I felt more centered, calm, and able to better handle life’s hassle and challenges. Today I can actually sit down and meditate like the rest of the people... what a joy!

Mandala art by Liona Hotta | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube |

Starting with the 1st of December I hear you are launching a series of courses on-line about dotting mandalas with a brush. Tell us more about this upcoming event.

My most recent project is the online course “How to dot your mandala with a BRUSH"

A while ago I realized that the international dotting community is divided into those who dot with dotting tools and those who dot with brushes (and lately there is a third group rising of cone dotters).

Somehow there is (in my opinion) a misconception about brush dotting that it is hard, complicated or “reserved” for the “more capable” artists.

Firstly, I don’t think it matters what we create art with: dotting tools, brushes, sticks, fingers.. art is art.

Secondly - it's all but wrong - dotting with a brush is easy. It’s a technique, you learn, you practice and you do it (just like about anything else in life).  

This course is built to take you by the hand and step by step help you understand, practice, get confident and apply this technique. And I do not offer it as a replacement for dotting tools, but as an additional enriching way to add to your backpack of possibilities.

This is a 4 weeks course, with lessons dropping once a week, beginning with December 1st. All materials of the course are permanently available to signed up users. You will be provided with access to an only-member Facebook group for this course"s participants. We will have Q&A live sessions once a week during the course, and from time to time afterwards, when needed and required by the group members. 

I have opened enrollment pre-sale of this course (follow link HERE) .

There is also an early bird price offer which will be kept open until Monday, November 18th. The course will begin on December 1st and last date to sign up is November 30th. 

All details are in the course sales page. Please email me if you any have further questions in case I missed any of them on my social media (support@lionahotta.com). I’ll gladly write you back.

Sending you all love and light,

Liona Hotta