Arrival at the Outstation – SOLD

Having Hugh Sawrey’s works in the Art Studio is always a pleasure!

Many prestigious artists have depicted Australia’s landscape and people, but there is a rawness and authenticity to Sawrey’s portrayal that stems directly from his first-hand experience with most of the subjects that he’s painted. A stockman, drover, horse breeder and accomplished all-round bushman, Hugh Sawrey was also a co-founder of the Stockman’s Hall of Fame at Longreach.

Sawrey’s legacy to the Australian art world is most likely that he has shared and preserved a narrative of life on the land and recorded some traditions that are fast disappearing.

Whilst Sawrey has produced some very noble works of men on horseback and beautiful droving scenes, an endearing aspect of his work is that he also acknowledges the day-to-day nuts and bolts of living in a rural community,  often with humorous honesty. There’s an Australian spirit in many of his pieces.

Sawrey’s body of work has a rich & entertaining character because he has painted such a variety of subjects: horsemen and equine subjects, farmers, drovers and stockmen, pubs and their drinkers, shop keepers and travelling salesmen, dance halls, churches, colourful race meetings, card players and two-up, and even tennis matches! And he doesn’t forget too to depict the contribution of women to farm life.

“Arrival at the Outstation” is painting rich in detail. It shows us, in Sawrey’s wonderful technique, the goings on at a station.  In this one painting there are several stories being told in glowing colour, and as with many of Sawrey’s works, his signature in red includes the impression of his paint-dipped thumbprint placed over the top of his surname.