Bela Ivanyi Boab at El Questro (Kimberleys WA)

Whenever I’m in the Kimberley region, I’m always fascinated by the ubiquitous boab tree and its ancient and sensuous shape – an incongruous presence in that rugged landscape.

On this occasion, I stayed at Anna Gorge – a station at El Questro, a property of nearly a million acres – and painted two sunrises (plein air, with gouache) featuring boab trees with the marvellous Cockburn Ranges in the background. This prompted me to paint a group of boabs near Anna Gorge camp, in watercolour, with the ever-present Cockburn Ranges embracing them.

Bela Ivanyi, 2018