Cry of the Curlew

Virginia McGowan

Cry of the Curlew

The Cry of the Curlew from a fictioninal novel but based on fact, is very involved ..In the early days of white people occupying and taking over the indigenous people’s land in outback Australia the native aboriginals were considered vermin and there was a determined effort to make them extinct, one way to do this was to poison their waterholes.;hence the two figures in the waterhole.I did this in similar way rock art is drawn, the legend is whenever there is a death the bush curlew cries I haven’t heard one, but they only cry when distressed and apparently the sound is really long mournful and once heard not forgotten.



Pastel painting from the book Cry of the Curlew by Peter Watt
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/peter-watt/cry-of-curlew.htm

http://www.peterwatt.com/australia.htm

About the Author

Peter Watt’s life experiences have included time as a soldier, articled clerk to a solicitor, prawn trawler deckhand, builder’s labourer, pipe layer, real estate salesman, private investigator, police sergeant and adviser to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. He has lived and worked with Aborigines, Islanders, Vietnamese and Papua New Guineans.

He speaks, reads and writes Vietnamese and Pidgin – and has a reasonable grasp of the English language. He currently lives in Maclean, on the Clarence River in Northern NSW.

Good friends, fine food, fishing and the vast open spaces of outback Queensland are his main interests in life. He also enjoys SCUBA diving, military history, crosswords (but not the cryptic kind) and teaching.

He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the Australian Society of Authors.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (University of Tasmania), Post Graduate Diploma of Training & Development (University of New England) and an Associate Diploma of Justice Administration (Sturt University).

Peter’s publisher. Pan-Mcmillon purchased the original painting from me a few years ago and it is hanging in their Sydney offices. [this is a copy because the author wanted it for himslelf and I thought I would get around to it at some time so I could give it to him and I forgot to photograph the original properly]

Cry of the Curlew belongs to the following groups:

All Around the Styles, Birds and Creatures of Flight, Contemporary Pastel Painters (2 per day), Descriptions, Fine Arts Influenced by Literature, Safe Haven, Vibrant and Vivid Color and Who are YOU to Judge? Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints
Cry of the Curlew by Virginia McGowan
  • Irene Burdell

    Irene Burdell

    Lovely work and great colours.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Irene much appreciated

  • DaliDoo

    DaliDoo

    Vibrant! really like the design of this Ginny:)

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Jak was doing the ironing and thought I’d break the monotony and upload something at the same time.

  • LenitaB

    LenitaB

    Love the layers of colour, and the design …

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks lenita much appreciated

  • GloriaDK

    GloriaDK

    Ginny this is so nice and Aussie. The colours are fab.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Gloria I just added a lot of writing about author etc rather long !

  • Carlos Solorza

    Carlos Solorza

    this is a beautiful work Ginny but, now i’m curious.
    there’s a man and a woman in a pool of water and the bird seems very interested in what looks somewhat like hearts? and the road seems to lead towards the gold in the foothills.
    hmmmm.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    oh forgot Carlos the black hill in the back is a very important cave.
    thanks for the interest. I love painting from stories. used to love going to films when I was a kid and comparing them to the book [Gone with the Wind was spot on to my imagination [I was 12 ]

  • Kathie Nichols

    Kathie Nichols

    Absolutely gorgeous Ginny…wow…very creative and colourful!!

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Kathie , still trying to write ‘rock/ bark ‘stories !!!

  • hilarydougill

    hilarydougill

    Beautiful artwork, love this, glorious imagery and beautiful colours, Unique. hugsxxx

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Hilary

  • gillsart

    gillsart

    Bright and colourful!

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    many thanks Gill

  • Karin Taylor

    Karin Taylorcommunity helper

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Karin and your little helper friend

  • Wendy Slee

    Wendy Slee

    I love all the layers of colour in this artwork….well done Ginny and for a book cover too! Amazing! I love the curlews, they have such beautiful eyes….

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Wendy.

  • hirst

    hirst

    Beautiful as always, wonderful colours!

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    Thanks Shirley

  • melant1017

    melant1017

    I really love the colors on this, very nice flow :)

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thank you so very much melant, much appreciate the very constructive comment.

  • Rosalie Scanlon

    Rosalie Scanlon

    Very pretty, nice layers and colors and a good history lesson.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks you rosalie much appreciated

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Rosalie

  • Kim Bender

    Kim Bender

    Wonderful!!! Love the scenery and color!

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks you for stopping by and commenting Kim

  • picketty

    picketty

    It is horrific that they were not even thought of as people …just vermin. and to poison the water. when did this happen? Did my ancestors really do something like this…yes they did.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    Well this is set in Queeensland, so depends on where you came from.

  • debsphotos

    debsphotos

    Wonderful history and impression of it Gini!!! Excellent work!! *-)

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Deb,

  • SharonD

    SharonD

    Good depiction and story Ginnymac.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    Thnaks Sharon

  • reflector

    reflector

    Very colourful ! I like the way you broke the space into segments !

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks james I did a series of this style a few years ago funny as I have to adjust my thinking into a different box[??]

  • RLHall

    RLHall

    Wonderful and full of color! :-)))

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks so much Rhonda

  • artlein

    artlein

    Love the construction and colours in this – the pastels are brilliant – fits the story perfectly.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Joanne

  • cougarfan

    cougarfan

    What a colorful piece!!!!!!!!! Lovely:)

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    Oh thanks so much appreciate your comment :-)...

  • angiejones

    angiejones

    Very nice art…............

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Angie…..........many thanks for all your comments ....

  • angiejones

    angiejones

    Don’t mention it ginnymac…..........your art is great. I look forward to seeing more of it. And thanks for adding me to your watchlist too :o)

  • darkestartist

    darkestartist

    Ginny, fantastic vibrancy in your colors, great composition. Very nicely done. Your words also reminded me of Follow the Rabbitproof Fence.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanksyou I really appreciate your comments. I haven’t read rabbit proof.. seems too sad for me! Peter Watt has written quite a few sequels to this .. I haven’t read them either. ! [can’t concentrate atm.

  • darkestartist

    darkestartist

    ginnymac, they also made Rabbitproof Fence into a movie, which was fantastic. Peter Gabriel did the soundtrack. It was sad but inspiring, and very well done.

  • karenuk1969

    karenuk1969

    Stunning colours!!

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks you so much Karen

  • poupoune

    poupoune

    Love your painting and the meaning behind. Men can be evil with no reason.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    oh thanks Poupoune the book is really almost non fiction

  • Marilyn Harris

    Marilyn Harris

    Fabulous work Ginny!! Love the different coloured layers!! Makes me very sad to think of what was done to the aboriginals – If you ever visit Derby in WA and see where they were chained in tiny cells – sometimes there were 40 or more in one cell!! Breaks your heart!!

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    so right Marilyn the book is based on fact, Peter lived in the area ,story is rather dramatic but interesting I haven’t got around to getting the rest he wrote! naughty me. I actually did this pic to give him as he was so kind to me , he wanted to buy the original , but the publisher got in first. so I redid this for him ,[he doesn’t know ] but it’s hard to post pastels they come off.

  • Marilyn Harris

    Marilyn Harris

    Lovely!! Good for you Ginny!! x :o)

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Marllyn [back from Tas !! ]

  • Lynda Robinson

    Lynda Robinson

    This is a really beautiful painting Ginny. Isn’t it a sad story though? I love the colours and the composition.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks Lynda. not only a sad story but very , um graphic in violence/ sex / ........ you name it, and he used it! well gotta make a story exciting !

  • Alice McMahon White

    Alice McMahon ...

    Congratulations! This work has been FEATURED in the Contemporary Pastel Painters Group

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanksyou alice! Wooppeee

  • Lynda Robinson

    Lynda Robinson

    This is such wonderful work Ginnymac! The colours and the whole concept are so impressive. Congratulations on the feature.

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanks so much Lynda

  • maria paterson

    maria paterson

    fantastic, love the way you divided it up

  • Virginia McGowan replied

    thanksyou Mari

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