We stopped at the Ayers Rock Visitors Center where I did one more sketch of the monolith. I loved catching the colors of this Martian landscape with black burnt twisted tree trunks spiraling up in knots from roots that clutched for moisture. There were a series of covered picnic tables. Charred dead wood is used to create curbs at the edge of the dirt trails. Amazingly two tourists from Germany were using a barbeque grill to cook lunch. Flies swarmed around their cooking meat and my head. I think the flies inspired brevity in my sketches. Either flies love my work, or they try to drink up the pigments.
Outside the visitors center, an Aboriginal woman sat cross legged and painted a traditional dream time painting that consisted of thousands of dots covering the canvas. I was of course tempted to draw her, but I had already done this sketch. For my sanity and Terry’s I only do one sketch a day on vacation. Once it is done, I just relax and soak in the sights without even being tempted to shoot photos.
We kind of skipped quickly through the educational film to make our way to the cafe. What I craved was an ice cream cone and a Coke. Luckily I found both. That cold burn never tasted so good. Terry had been having an animated conversation with the sales girl and she asked me to show my sketch book. I responded with “think-q” to the compliments.