Red Dirt Blue Skies
August 11th to 29th
About Red Dirt Blue Skies Artist Trail
Red Dirt Blue Skies is a response to community demand for the return of the pre-covid Desert Equinox exhibition. Red Dirt Blue Skies Artist Trail is that exhibition reimagined. Showcasing our local artists during the peak tourist season.
Broken Hill Art Exchange invites you to follow the map and create a trail to savour the talents of local artists. Who knows what treasures you may discover.
Red Dirt Blue Skies is gratefully supported by a Broken Hill City Council Community Assistance Grant.
Download the map
Explore artworks by local artists as you wonder though Broken Hill.
40 Artists in 25 venues across Broken Hill.
Download List of Artists and Venues
Some of the artworks are for sale and can be purchased through the BHAE website below. BHAE takes a 10% commission that includes bank fees, The price does not include postage.
Peoples choice closing 10am 27th August . Winners announced BHAE AGM 5:30pm 27 August
Click on the map for Interactive Map showing Red Dirt Blue Skies venues and trail.
Gallery of works
1.Slag Heap Projects Marnpi Festival: Badger Bates with his grandson Baaka Bates Marnpi Festival is a significant First Nations-led arts and community festival co-designed by Badger Bates and Slag Heap Projects with Anthony Hayward and Nancy Bates, in partnership with The Old Vic Gallery Studio and Premier Automotive Tyres. Slag Heap Projects hosts one part of this project, a collaborative, intergenerational exhibition featuring new and recent work by Badger Bates and his grandson Baaka.
2. HAYLEY MAYNE Spectacular Isolation Framed Print "Framed L: 63.5cm x W:63.5 cmPrint L:44cm x W:44cm" $215.00 This raw image captures the spectacular colours of the outback cleansed and enhanced by an unexpected downpour of rain. The lone lamb and the vastness of the land represents the combination of isolation and pure wonder that greets you in the outback.
3.HAYLEY MAYNE Spirit of our Ancestors Framed photograph "Framed print: 56cm x 69cm Print size: L33cm x W:46cm" $215.00 This sunset was captured on the banks of the Darling-Baaka River. This raw image captures the natural elements of the moment, I was moved to call this image Spirit of our Ancestors surmising the cultural significance of this country to the Barkindji mob.
4.Tim Gimbert It's Not All About The Band Photos mounted on white cardboard frames Approx 100 cms square A series of photos from Mundi Mundi Music Festival that represents elements other than the bands.
5. Tim Jinks I dreamt of a Flying Doctor Oil on board 90cm x 100cm Portrait of Broken Hill Artist Howard William Steer.
6.Tim Jinks Pom Oil on board 90cm x 110cm Portrait of David ‘Pom’ White
7.Selen Nazmiye Bilal Desert Bloom-ache 100% recycled materials, metal, wire, fabrics, tin, paint, vinyl, glitter Approx 7 foot x 7 foot ""Desert Bloom‑ache is a sculpture born from heartache—grief I couldn’t yet name when I first envisioned a desert pea blooming in my mind, long before I ever saw one. I created it from foraged and salvaged materials through my work with Landcare Broken Hill, mostly from Imperial Lakes. The pea, like the people of this desert, survives by going deep—clawing through heat and dust, blooming against the odds. In moving here, I began to understand what I had lost, and what I was growing into. This work is about the quiet transformation that comes from sitting with pain, building something with your hands, and letting the land teach you its pace. Every mirrored scrap reflects back that journey—from waste to bloom, ache to beauty. Made under my artist brand De Los Soles, Desert Bloom‑ache is for this place, and what it made possible in me. — Selen Nazmiye Bilal, 2025ty."
8.Glynis Thorp Broken Dreams Redgum wood carved by Indigenous artist Brian Harris and antique china necklace . Height 1 metre "A collaboration between Indigenous artist and a non-Indigenous artist from the outback showing the irony of 2 cultures meeting in the harsh outback. The resilient Indigenous woman who had adapted to the country and the non-Indigenous coming to the country with their fine china where many a goal of making a better life was broken like the china. The harshness of the Australian bush broke many dreams and goals and aspirations.The china is from the old Broken Hill tip and is over 100 years old. The artists are typical of outback people self-taught in their crafts and will have a go creating in their backyard. Lives can be put back together with new adaptations and skills and forgiveness as long as we hold onto hope. One key to success and peace is how we manage to adapt."
9. Susanne Jones Menindee Lakes Colour Digital print "When the lake fills it is a magical glorious event. Lake Menindee during the 2023 floods."
10. Krystle Evans Undomesticated Textiles Uncovered and undomesticated. Discarded fabrics are sewn into reimagined creation stories and doll like spirit-beings in exploration of culture and womanhood. Otherworldly narratives prompt reflection through a sharply feminist and deeply personal cultural lens.
12. Kim Arnold Saltbush on Eyre Acrylic on canvas 90 cm x 70 cm. $385 I have a rich family history of being in our beautiful outback. If you looked closely enough, you could always find another little world you could escape into. The landscapes that surrounded me and the smells in the air have always been a part of my blood. Saltbush has encompassed my soul wherever I went; the endless amount of hours out the bush sitting pondering life. Saltbush on Eyre is inspired by a photo taken on Eyre St Broken Hill, a road that we all drive everyday, thousands of passing cars never stopping. So much beauty going unseen, unappreciated, unwanted
13.Alison Jones Summer…. Flyscreen, timber, embroidery thread 50x50cm $150. Flies, in summer… always. But also throughout the year…
14. Christine Kearnan Moonlight Sonata (over Broken Hill) Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pastel, Water Color and Embelishments 42cm x52cm a series of 5 A naive and whimsical series of paintings each depicting a character playing an orchestral instrument in the starlit skies over iconic Broken Hill landmarks
15. Stacey Ferguson Wywudjah Want To Be Anywhere Else Mixed Media finished with Oils (Collage, Modelling Paste, Inks, Spray Paint, Acrylics, Oils) 90cm Round $1,350 A magical place, where the river mirrors the sky and time seems to slow down. A reminder that there is beauty in the simple things, Wywudjah invites the viewer to pause and go on their own journey, to wonder and reflect on their own moments within the stillness.
16. Em Jensen Rough Rider photograph 60 cm x 60 cm Cowboy rides the bull at the White Cliffs Rodeo, 2024. $350
17. Lorraine-Lee Tyerman Echoes of Brindiwilpa Photographic Prints "This nine-image series captures the raw beauty and poetic stillness of an outback station in the Tibooburra district, NSW. Each photograph reflects on the passage of time and the deep connection between land, history, and nature. A disused woolshed, where a forgotten fleece lies undisturbed, and stands as a quiet monument to rural life, while windmills stretch into vast skies, now turning without purpose. From the shifting glow of sunsets to the resilient native flowers and the collective poise of Emus and birds crossing red earth, green scrub, and blue skies, this work honours the endurance of both landscape and people. Echoes of Brindiwilpa invites viewers to pause and witness the rhythms of station life — its solitude, resilience, and quiet grandeur. These images are not just documentation, but conversations between past and present, echoing the spirit of the bush and the enduring stories rooted in its soil."
19. Kathy Graham Three pages in a Philosophy Book Stoneware Clay, slip, underglaze Ceramic triptych - Three Pages in a Philosophy Book, consists of three ceramic bottles, each hand built and wheel thrown and designed to evoke deep reflection on today’s societal values and the environment in which we live. Each bottle, or ‘page’, is inscribed with philosophical statements or questions written to provoke contemplation about how we engage and impact on environment.
20. Kathy Graham Earth Circle Saggar fired stoneware 24 x 35 x 4cm $240 Earth Circle is a representation of the elemental bond between clay, fire, and the arid landscape I call home. Created using primitive saggar firing techniques, the work bears the imprint of natural materials—ashes, minerals, and plant matter—collected from the local environment. The unpredictable markings left by smoke and flame reflect the textures and tones of sunbaked earth, wind-carved stone, and dry riverbeds. The circular form speaks to cycles of renewal, resilience, and continuity in a landscape shaped by scarcity and endurance. In embracing fire as a collaborator, this piece honours the deep, grounding presence of the desert and our place within it.
18. Kelly Leonard Rock Chick Studio metal 24cm x 24cm Rock Chick Studio is a collection of jewellery hand-made by Kelly Leonard in Broken Hill. The objects are created from metal, minerals and the mythology of the Far West to create talismans to protect and empower all who wear them. The objects are designed to be worn on bodies to hold memories and experiences of the environment in which they are crafted.
21. Leigh Lambert C2024_G3(ATLAS) Comet From Mundi Mundi Lookout, January 2025 Photographic Digital Print 20 x 30 inches $180This is a photograph of the C2024_G3(ATLAS) Comet taken from the Mundi Mundi Lookout in January 2025, as it made its return trip around the sun. While this work is not yet being presented online, please accept this invitation to view and follow more of my local work, or to make enquiries regarding prints or other unpublished works, on Instagram via @portablebrokenhill
22. Leigh Lambert Storm - Broken Hill, October 2024 Photographic Digital Print 20 x 30 inches $180 This photograph depicts the storm which toppled transmission towers and took out power across Broken Hill, and many surrounding towns, for two weeks in October 2024. It was recently awarded a commendation in the Australian Photography Landscape Awards for 2025. While this work is not yet being presented online, please accept this invitation to view and follow more of my local work, or to make enquiries regarding prints or other unpublished works, on Instagram via @portablebrokenhill
Elizabeth Blackmore The Desert Traveller Acrylic on wood 130x50 A cyclist discovering life travelling through the desert
24. Julliette Maddern Punya Pulti Acrylic on canvas $350 Outback Australia painted while travelling in my bus.
25. Julliette Maddern Urumbera Acrylic on canvas $500 Outback Australian painted while travelling in my bus.
26. Karrie Lannstrom Mining Scene Acrylic on canvas 50 x 40 Broken Hill mines in a dust storm
27. Karrie Lannstrom Still life with Pinnacles Acrylic on canvas 50 x 40cm Local flowers in vase with iconic Pinnacles framed against a blue sky
28. Stacey Ferguson Sunset Off Rocky Hill Mixed Media finished with Oils (Collage, Modelling Paste, Inks, Spray Paint, Acrylics, Oils) 90 cm Round $1,350 "Every night, the sky over Rocky Hill puts on a show. They’re utterly breath taking, most days when I leave work and every time I marvel over how truly beautiful they are. In this painting I have tried to capture that moment when the light turns golden and everything is still as if the whole world is paused to watch with the textures echoing the roughness of the land. Sunset over Rocky Hill is a celebration of those beautiful sunsets, a reminder to look up and breathe, appreciate just how lucky we are to have the most amazing sunsets."
29. Michelle Pearce Wide Blue Sky Acrylic 1 metre by 30 cm “For the past 25 years since moving to Broken Hill, I’ve always been amazed by the sheer expanse of the sky.”
30 & 31. Kirsten Chow Othy Star & Hugging Hands Cotton, Polyester Filling "L: 200cm 45cm x 35cm" Othy Star was created as another large, sensory, hugging pillow. This pillow can envelope you as you sit on the couch or as you lie in bed.
32. Jo Severino Mundi Mundi Plains Fingerless Gloves Locally sourced thrifted and recycled yarns 200mm x 90mm x 20mm $50 The Mundi Mundi Plains fingerless gloves represent the hues of the landscape surrounding Broken Hill: the orange-red earth at the cuff, the slim line of green saltbush, and the endless blue skies reaching up to the fingers. Locally sourced thrifted and recycled yarns were used, with a little handspun and hand-dyed wool.
33.Jo Severino Sunset Strip 100% cotton yarn 1500mm x 400mm NFS 26. The Sunset Strip dress is crocheted from 100% cotton yarn in colours that represent a desert rainbow! The named was inspired by the Sunset Strip at Menindee Lakes, and is also reminiscent of rainbow lorikeets that seek water in our arid landscape.
35. Marc Kruger Red dirt, big sky Acrylics on plywood 1200mm x 1200mm 1500 The magic of a place lies less in it's actual location and appearance, but more deeply in how it makes you feel. That is how you will remember it, by the emotions it evoked. The Australian outback is certainly a magical place, with a harsh climate and raw, honest beauty. This is how I remember it. Enjoy this colourful journey with me through the window of abstraction.
36. Susan Shiner Belladonna Soft pastels on fine art paper. 850mm:480mm "Belladonna is inspired by a recent journey along the Henry Roberts Road between Tibooburra and White Cliffs. While travelling with my family, we broke down on a stretch of road we had driven many times before. It was there, in this familiar place, that I noticed a sculpture of a ballerina made from recycled steel. I was taken by the unlikeliness of this graceful and delicate figure set in contrast to the rugged, unforgiving landscape of the Corner Country. The beauty of the ballerina forged from waste, set against the raw backdrop of outback Australia was highly symbolic. The figure reflected our own predicament, broken down and stranded, but also spoke to something broader. Belladonna became a metaphor for resilience, for discovering beauty in life's more difficult or mundane moments."
38. Amanda Raddatz Queen Unleashed Canvas, Acrylic, Gold Leaf 1.2mtr x 1mtr $2,750 "this vibrant and stylized portrait embodies the strength and confidence of a Queen, symbolising the journey of self-discovery and growth that comes from exploring the world and returning home. Inspired by the artists own travels overseas and their triumphant return to Broken Hill; Queen Unleashed is a representation of self-discovery and unbreakable connection to one's roots.
Christine Kearnan Star Flight Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pastel, Ink, Gold Foil and small embellishments. 60cm x 90cm Star Flight. My art evoles around story telling of whimsy and Magic 'Star Flight' is of a young girls dream, flying amongst the star filled skies over the vast landscapes that surround Broken Hill
39. Katie Meyer What the Hill Remembers Acrylic and oil on canvas board 8" x 8". "The Miners Memorial honours over 800 lives lost in Broken Hill's mining history. The iconic monument and the slag heap it stands on are depicted vibrantly in bold, expressive brushstrokes, embraced by the golden light the sky offers the town each day. This painting holds space for the town’s resilience and its reverence for the people and history that shaped it."
40. Susan Thomas Dynamic Equilibrium Acrylic on paper 57cm x 76cm $900 This dynamic, energetic painting features expressive brushstrokes and a vivid colour palette. Dominated by fiery oranges and deep blues, the composition evokes a turbulent landscape in flux—forms dissolving and being reshaped by unseen forces. Swirls of green, purple, and teal create depth and movement, suggesting wind or upheaval. Shadowy forms in the foreground add contrast to the softer hues in the upper corners, which hint at a fading sky. The tension arises from the clash of warm and cool colours, the interplay between swirling movement and grounded forms, and the balance between dissolution and structure. The equilibrium in the painting lies in the delicate balance between its opposing elements, creating a sense of stability amid chaos: vibrant colours are tempered by cooler tones, and energetic brushstrokes are anchored by solid, shadowy shapes. The overall effect is an emotional, atmospheric blending of chaos and beauty.
41. Susan Thomas Copi Hollow Tree Acrylic paint on canvas board 30.5cm x 40.6cm x $300.00 The visual and spatial complexities of the landscape at Copi Hollow, between Menindee and Broken Hill, resists being captured all at once. I use gestural marks, experimenting with shape and form, to absorb, edit, and interpret the vastness of the scene. Through an intuitively developed pattern of shapes, I translate the spatial elements to ultimately define the central figure of a tree—positioned on and beside the lake, in relation to the distant surface horizon of the earth.The composition explores the tension between nearness and distance by flattening space and allowing multiple spatial readings to coexist. Traditional linear perspective is intentionally disrupted—rather than receding into a fixed vanishing point, forms are layered and arranged through intuitive placement and gestural marks
Gert Admiraal Mundi Mundi acrylic on board I have tried to put a bit of humour into the painting
42. Cindy Jeffrey ‘Daphne – A local lady’ A gentle watercolour tribute to our cheeky emus, painted with love from my imagination, depicting flamboyant shades of deep blues, reds, sap green and turquoise, with a big wink to their mischievous character, like a flamboyant dance across the Outback stage with their long eyelashes. In drought, these beautiful birds, sometimes with their fluffy chicks in tow, wander into town in search of water, famously popping up in gardens, street corners, and even the odd footy match. ‘Daphne - A Local Lady’ is one of my favourite emus I have created, in my attempt to celebrate their wild, bold, endearing wanderlust we are privileged to see fairly regularly here in Broken Hill.
43. Cindy Jeffrey ‘The Sculptures – Broken Hill Living Desert’ It is my hope that this watercolour painting captures the essence of the most iconic of our twelve sandstone sculptures atop Sundown Hill in Broken Hill’s Living Desert. I’ve bathed the view in the warm hues of our Far West region, deep reds, earthy browns, and golden tones reflecting the sculpture's transformation under the setting sun when it is truly the most beautiful time to visit. Carved in 1993 by a group of international artists, these monumental works stand as a testament to creativity and artistry in our arid landscape. I hope my painting evoke the serene yet powerful ambiance of the desert, making a vivid homage to one of Australia's most photographed outback landmarks.