This image took me 12 weeks to paint. I have six generations of family who have lived in this city and I thought about all of them a lot while I was painting this. I’ve not included any people in the image because I want each person to see their own people here. I had a bit of an airy experience while painting this. I was at a bit of a loss as how to do the suburbs and hills behind the basin reserve as I’m relying more on artistic license and imagination than actual correct data. Over a week or two I kept adding layers until it came together and looked right. The surprise came when my Mum stood in front of the finished piece and exclaimed how I’d got the ridge and hills just right where she and three generations of her clan had lived. I’d not realized this was the place she spent the first 20 years of her life. It was as if I have a memory in the land that goes back beyond my generation that came out on the canvas.