Known as the ‘Outback artist’, self-taught painter Sandy Mclean is on a mission … to inspire grey nomads – and others – to pick up a paintbrush and express themselves through art.
Sandy, who has just opened a new studio in the Queensland town of Blackall, regularly goes out to schools and community groups to encourage people to sit down and start painting.
Now, having found travellers well represented among the people who call in at her new gallery, she is eager to encourage grey nomads to tap into their creativity.
“It is a great way of recording a trip, a particular campsite, and offers something different to photographs or even a journal entry,” she said. “You don’t need much besides half a dozen tubes of paint, a couple of paintbrushes, and maybe a book of canvasses, but not even that really … you can paint on just about anything.”
Outback artist Sandy Maclean has a gallery in Blackall.
Sandy says sometimes adults are frightened to get painting because they are worried that people may judge, or their work may not be considered ‘good’ … but she says it is vital just to start.
Many adults might not have painted since they were at school, and Sandy says the key is to recall that no-fear excitement of childhood.
Sandy regularly holds classes to pass on her passion for painting.
“It’s just a great thing for grey nomads to do and something I think everyone can try regardless of whether they have painted before, or think they have a talent or not,” she said. “People often surprise themselves and it is something creative that brings great pleasure.”
Sandy was brought up on a large property near Longreach and wasn’t really exposed to art until she went to boarding school in Brisbane.
Despite showing plenty of talent at that time, Sandy’s artistic passion took a back seat as marriage and three children changed her priorities.
It wasn’t until the early 1990s when she was living on a property at Augathella that fate intervened and changed the course of her life.
“There was a bad drought and, at the same time, wool prices plunged and I started thinking we had to do something to supplement our income,” she said. “I went out and painted a few of the old historic homesteads in the area and made a calendar and tried to sell them.”
This was back in the days before online shopping when people would respond to newspaper ads by putting a cheque in the post.
Nonetheless, Sandy sold 20,000 of her calendars over the next three years … and the rest, as they say, is history. Having lived most of her life on the land, Sandy was inspired by animals like the cattle, sheep, horses and dogs around her, and also developed a passion for portraits.
However, she says that many grey nomads may be more drawn to the landscapes they see.
“I just hope they give it a go,” she said. “Getting people to enjoy art is a real passion of mine.”
WIN VOLTX LiFePO4 BATTERY SYSTEMS
Grey Nomad members are being given the chance to win one of two fantastic VoltX LiFePO4 Battery systems, with a combined value of nearly $2,500.
With travellers increasingly spending more time off-grid, having a reliable and adequate power source is more important than ever … and these two products will certainly offer adventurers peace of mind on that front.
Click here to learn more about the competition.
