I have painted at many memorable places in Australia and the majority of this exhibition was painted at a new location that I’ve been fortunate enough to discover when visiting an art retreat in regional New South Wales. This unique location is approximately forty kilometres north west of Bathurst, near the little hamlet of Freemantle, where the Macquarie River snakes its way through valleys of farming land, river flats and native bush. Tall gums, scraggly saplings and the amber glow from the river itself, provides endless inspiration. Unlike Melbourne – where I live – I feel the quietness and a comforting level of peace that comes from the relative remoteness of this idyllic location. I hope these feelings resonate in my paintings.

Herman Pekel
April 2024