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Early Morning – Megalong Valley 30cm x 40cm Original Oil on Canvas Board by John Bradley SOLD!
There are three major valleys in the Blue Mountains – the Jamison Valley which can be seen from Echo Point at Katoomba, the Grose Valley which can be viewed from Govett’s Leap Lookout at Blackheath, and the Megalong Valley which lies to the south of Blackheath. The Megalong Valley is the only valley which is easily accessible by two wheel vehicle and, as such, offers a rare opportunity for visitors to drive into a valley through the ferns and rainforest which cover the escarpment. The valley is quiet and peaceful and characterised by sheer cliffs and some very pleasant bushwalks. Megalong Valley in the Blue Mountains is a favourite destination for tourists and bush walkers alike. With its towering sandstone cliffs, which look like gold with the sunlight on them and the crystal clear river below it, is a delightful location. Here John has captured all of those ingredients it is as if you were there, watching the blue haze fill the rocky canyon. Cox’s River and its many tributaries, including Megalong Creek flow through the Megalong Valley in the Blue Mountains. John paints his sketches on site and loves to capture the waterways, sheer sandstone cliffs, the valley floor far below, the scattered farmhouses and the mountains in the distance which can be seen from every view point in the Megalong Valley. This scene reflects the awesome splendour of that region. Nature worked for several hundred thousand years to mould the Blue Mountains into the exquisite scenic masterpiece.
Any story of Megalong would not be complete without some reference to the Aboriginals. Aboriginal tribes that lived their nomadic existence in this area moved from the Burragorang-Camden area, along the Cox’s River, through the valley to the headwaters in the Lithgow-Wallerawang area. This was done on a seasonal basis, spending winter months in the warmer area of Burragorang and the summer on the higher mountain area of Wallerawang. This would mean that Megalong would be a spring and autumn venue for them, a popular locality because of the abundance of wild life and fresh water. It could be said that if the early explorers had followed the trail of the tribes they could have found a way to the west of the great cliffs of the Blue Mountains by following the ridges and valleys from Burragorang, via the Blackdog track and Medlow Gap at the end of Narrow Neck Mountain and on to Megalong, Hartley, Bowenfells and Wallerawang. This was one route that the early stockmen used to bring in their cattle herds.
John is recognised as one of Australia’s most versatile artists, able to accurately paint Australian landscapes, seascapes, 20th century street scenes, night scenes, sunsets and sunrises, misty mornings, Blue Mountains valleys, locomotives, aircraft, lighthouses and ships.
Working in oils, John’s techniques range from traditional realist work through to impressionistic works, with broad brush strokes and palette knife techniques. John is largely self-taught and has not been influenced by any past Australian Painter. John’s real love is the Australian landscape and he travels extensively in search of new material. Some of his favourite themes include steam locomotives, sailing ships, old historic buildings and street scenes, all reminders of times when the pace of life was a little slower .
