Corner of Tate & Westgarth

I walk a dog along here most days. I love this view of Black Mountain, and the way the light and the view changes with the seasons. Tate Street has great street trees, shady and sultry in Summer, ablaze with colour in Autumn, budding with possibilities in Spring.

In Winter, as in this painting, the trees are pared back, skeletal yet solid armatures that let in a cool, crisp light that saturates the street with full fat, fully saturated colour.

I also like this house, it’s very Monocrete, 40’s and 50’s government housing, old school O’Connor. The simplicity of the house contrasts well with the newer, more elaborate houses on either side.

Significant to me about this street is also the pair of magpies who insist on swooping all year round even though I’ve fed them dog treats all year round. The funny thing about these birds is that they don’t swoop when it’s just me, or just me and the big dog, they only swoop our anxious, smaller, conflict avoiding, spotty dog Willow. I would miss these two birds if they weren’t around.