Hidden Gullies

Hidden Gullies (Crimson Rosellas) Original Acrylic on Canvas 91cm x 61cm

James Inspiration: “I have returned to a few very special gullies in the Killabakh Nature Reserve in the Manning Valley numerous times. I always come away refreshed and ready for a large painting. The cool gullies predominate with tall eucalypts, grass trees and intermingled remnants of rainforest. The chattering of life in these hidden gullies goes on daily with no human involvement. Until I came along and captured this Crimsons family”.

The original “Rosella” was a name coined by early settlers who on their journeys between Sydney and Parramatta regularly saw White Cheeked Rosellas at Rose Hill.  They called the birds “Rose Hillers”, which was pleasantly corrupted to Rosella.  Rosellas are gregarious birds, immatures commonly banding with occasional adults in wandering feeding groups of up to 30 and more out of breeding season.  Adults are less communal and seem more sedentary usually staying in pairs.  These birds are essentially seed and fruit eaters and will forage adeptly both on the ground and in the outer foliage of trees.  Early morning sees them flying to drink and feed, clambering among the outer branches of trees and shrubs.  The seeds of the eucalypt are a staple diet.

The Crimson Rosella is found along the Great Dividing Range.  They live in and along the edge of tall timbered eucalypt forests and woodlands, from River Red gums along the Murray to the Atherton tablelands in Queensland.  There’s no feeding territory or breeding territory.  At times they take in dew by pulling sodden leaves through their mandibles.  When on the ground they keep to patches of shade.  Pairing seems to be permanent even though adult’s group in small social gatherings both in and out of breeding season.  After the young are about two weeks old both parents feed them, ceasing two or three weeks after fledging and abandoning them a month or so later to flocks of juveniles.  No more than one brood is usually raised each year.

James began his career as a full-time engineer specialising in surveying and design, but his passion for Australian wildlife eventually led him to become a professional full-time artist. A self-taught artist, James carefully researches each subject using his own sketches, photographs and reference material gathered during walks and visits to Australia’s national parks and bushland reserves. His detailed wildlife paintings often combine elements from numerous photographs to create realistic and carefully observed artworks. James works primarily in acrylic, building up layers of transparent colour to create depth, texture and subtle tonal effects that bring his Australian wildlife subjects to life.

His work has gained international recognition, with several original artworks reproduced as prints, calendars, placemats, coasters and greeting cards. James is an international award-winning artist, and since 2020, Australian Geographic has featured 13 of his artworks in its annual calendar. The success of this collaboration has led to an ongoing exclusive arrangement, further showcasing James’s distinctive celebration of Australia’s unique wildlife.

A reproduction of this image was reproduced in the 2022 Australian Geographic Art Calendar and the Artists for Conservation 2021 Virtual Exhibit and Companion book.

Original artwork by James Hough

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