The Outback Gondwana Foundation have been running an Artist in Residence program at their annual digs since 2007. The artists use their experiences at the dig site as inspiration to produce and then exhibit a series of artworks.
The artists bring attention to the rich fossil, cultural, geological, floral and faunal diversity of South- west Queensland.
During the 2010 dig, a clay horizon was discovered to contain beautifully preserved impressions of plants that were part of the landscape some 95 million years ago. Scientifically and artistically these plants are incredibly intriguing; “What did the landscape look like, all of those years ago?” This find has inspired AK Milroy to look further, to research the “old” plants of Eromanga, to see what can be found when we look, and then look again. A PhD is currently underway, with the Cemtral Queensland University, to study these plants within an art/science frame, to make visualisations of these fossil plants, in new and unique ways, with new and old technologies. It is anticipated that the new knowledge that is unearthed with these old botanical beauties will be very intriguing indeed.
For more information about this artist, please visit
AK Milroy: www.greenvalegallery.com
Local Quilpie Artist, Leah Cameron was the 2010 ‘Dig Artist’. In the time at the dig Leah documented much of the dig through sketches and photos. Leah is planning on spending some more time adding to her portfolio by taking sketches of the fossil preparators at work in the field laboratory. She has some very exciting ideas on how she plans to interpret this work and is planning an exhibition of her work at a date still to be set. Her painting inspired by her experience at the Eromanga Digsite won First Prize at the 2011 Quilpie Show.
For more information about this artist, please visit
Leah Cameron: www.quilpiearts.org.au
2008/09 Dig Artist in Resident, Annabel Tully presented an outstanding collection of art at her ‘Layers of the Land’ exhibition in Brisbane in 2011. All her work at this exhibition was inspired by her experience at the dinosaur digs. Annabel used natural ochre found from around the surrounding hills and ochre found by dig team members around the bones from Cooper, Australia’s largest dinosaur. Layers of the Land was a sell out exhibition and an inspiration to us all.
For more information about this artist, please visit
Annabel Tully: www.annabeltully.com
Lyn Barnes was the inaugural Artist in Residence for the Outback Gondwana’s annual dig. The arid landscape of outback Queensland has been inspiration for artist Lyn Barnes since she began painting over ten years ago. Her work is recognised for its vivid depiction of not only the intense blue skies and red earth of her home, but also of the people of the area that is sometimes referred to as Heartbreak Corner.
For more information about this artist, please email
Lyn Barnes: lynbarnesart@bigpond.com