Shut off Valve on Cockatoo Island

Original watercolour of a large rusty shut off valve on Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour, Australia.

On my first trip to Cockatoo Island I was fascinated by the old machinery and the network of rusting pipes. When I saw this valve on the Island the combination of deep red rusty colours and texture in the peeling paint against a backdrop of beautiful sandstone rock captured my interest. I wanted to explore the textures in the rust and sandstone using a selection of heavily granulating watercolours. Using experimental techniques to maximise the granulation of fine particles out of the paint into the rough paper.