Artist Ray Monde embarked on a six-day journey on foot from Goulburn to Braidwood as a way of reconnecting with the people and the landscape around him.
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Over the next few days, he will stop at various locations on the way to capture the beauty of the landscape and this work will be exhibited at the Goulburn Regional Art Gallery in 2022 titled 'What the Wayfarer Saw'.
The idea came to him during Covid restrictions when many people slowed down and reconnected with things they love doing like hiking etc.
READ MORE: Ray Monde speaks through his artworks
"People may not necessarily notice the beauty around them while driving between Goulburn and Braidwood. So, I thought of taking a walk between the two locations and drawing and sketching during this period," he said.
"I don't know what the end results will be at this point. For me, it's about taking the journey and seeing what comes out of it at this stage."
Mr Monde plans to walk for around 15 kms every day, covering a total distance of about 85kms, so he has ample time to stop and absorb the environment and sketch the landscape.
After spending months oversees, he is looking forward to seeing Australia with fresh eyes. "It will be interesting to see, hear and smell the landscape," he added.
Mr Monde is inspired by a Japanese artist Hiroshige who was a woodblock print artist and illustrator known for his landscapes. In 1832, he travelled along the Tokaido highway from Edo to Kyoto and back and later published his work.
Meanwhile, there has been a shift in the techniques and work done by Mr Monde from how it used to be.
"Earlier, I used to tear up the paper and create the landscapes but I now overpaint the paper in thin glazes so the texture of the magazine still comes through but I also get much better colour control from it. Hopefully, I will be able to bring landscapes and people who live in them to life," he said.
He is the recipient of 2020 Veolia Creative Arts Practice Scholarship and was a finalist in National Works on Paper Prize 2020, Blake Prize 2021 and the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize 2021
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