Artist Adele Eyers draws inspiration for her work from touring Australia in a Viscount.  “I didn’t start painting seriously until 1978. [Before that] I was a hairdresser. I don’t know many hairdressers who aren’t arty and like singing and music. I would have liked to have been an opera singer. My husband Jim and I have a Viscount 14-foot caravan. He’s a carpenter so he’s done it all out inside. We’ve never broken down but we wouldn’t go without our NRMA membership just in case. It has to be done; it makes you feel very secure.

All up I’ve taken 3000 photos on my trips. When I’m travelling I usually sit outside the caravan and do pen and wash. When I paint at home I go through the photos and I put on Pavarotti. My grandchildren are always in the studio when they’re here. I make them learn to paint properly at an easel with a palette.

Our first trip was in 1999 to Nyngan and Bourke and up through the Northern Territory to Three Ways and Litchfield National Park. We did as much as we could in eight weeks but it’s never enough.

‘On our last trip I kept stopping to take photos and Jim said, “Are you aware we’ve been on the road for three hours and all we’ve done is 80km?”’

When I’m out [on the road] I’m so proud I want to share it. You need to be out there in the environment so you don’t insult the landscape when you paint it.

On our last trip the spring flowers were out so coming down to Kalbarri [Western Australia] was like seeing a botanical garden along the side of the road.

We also went to Wyndham where the five rivers go out to sea. The tides go out 13 metres and you get the pattern play in the wet sand. My painting of that sold in the Gosford art prize for $8000. It’s not a lot to boast about but it’s hard to get that much money. I’ll be happy if in my time I see my paintings get to $25,000. I’ve had 34 exhibitions, including one in New York, and I’ve won many awards.

I tell people, don’t be afraid of doing these trips. The roads are good and places are accessible. You don’t have to have a 4WD – you can go on a 4WD tour once you get there. I want to share what we’ve done so that it will whet other people’s appetite and they can go and do it themselves.”

To view Adele’s work, visit Indigo Art or call 4340 1177 to visit her gallery.