“In Search of Electric Opal”
by Michael Clark, Lorrae E
(edited by Glenn Lawrence)
“You must become sister to Opal, become her friend. Beware, she is a celestial temptress, a jealous one, her beauty pure beyond words, and she will lure men off into the desert in an often relentless search for her.”
An enlightening conversation evolves as two cultures meet, discussing the dangers that could lie ahead.
“Look at him Lorrae, Opal, she has got him. Become her sister or you could lose him to the mesmerising rainbow serpent stone of the desert.”
Such wise words of observation. I found myself standing there, sculpting these magnificent stones of colour, guilty and exposed of an affair that few men experience and fewer women will tolerate. Respecting these wise words, we answered this enchanting call rising from deep within the Australian Outback, as we are swept away together in search of electric Opal.
Conceptually, the yearly series of hand carved boulder opal sculptures was motivated by an interest in exploring the history of Australia’s opal fields, wildlife and it’s people. Fascination with the complexities of nature is an understatement in describing our interest in the natural world, which took us on a great adventure into a vast area of south western Queensland. What happens here in these regions by force of nature is incredible, the astounding combination of a variety of natural elements allows for great variations in the types of Opal rocks available. Each type of stone can be unique to a particular area of the Queensland Opal belt.
In the process of looking for sculpture stones, we were very interested in highly patterned material, intricate design within the opal, stability and patterning within the host rock. Stones, that stand out uniquely and which are suitable for creating collectable, one of a kind art pieces.
Yowah and Koroit opal fields produce some of the most beautiful stones that our opal fields have to offer. The swirling dark browns of the ironstone laced through siltstone and sandstone form intricate patterns and designs, highlighted by the iridescent opal. The lines of ironstone are darker and often harder, accompanied with softer sandstone and siltstone which is lighter and variable in colour. When I am sculpting in this medium the combinations of soft and hard stone, combined with the crystalline texture of opal, creates a challenge through each step of the procedure. But once polished or left naturally textured this process can produce an outstanding finish.
Within the formation of these rocks, nature has shown no limitation or repression in her artistic expression, creating surreal, unique natural picture stones, seascapes and landscapes, often representing the desert scenes in which these stones are found, all the different environments that have come and gone to create these fascinating stones.
The opal fields are scattered across an ancient landscape that once was the edge of the inland sea. The erosion of millions of years has left us with naturally sculpted, flat top mesas producing spectacular views over tapering red desert valleys, sparsely dotted with silvery green mulga trees. Hidden beneath the colourful wildflowers and the yellowing desert grasses of this dynamic landscape are mysterious patches of ground concealing stones of electric fire.
Since the discovery of opal in these areas in the late 1800’s people have come here in search of this magnificent stone. Legendary names rose up from the desert floor; Whiskey Flat, The Southern Cross, The Great Old Extended and Brandy Gully mark the spots of earlier diggings. Yowah, Koroit, Blackgate, Duck Creek and Sheep Station Creek are areas renowned for producing these wonderful opal nuts, ironstone matrix, nut conglomerates and boulders, which can contain some of the most vibrant crystal opal.
So there we were, as if caught up in a desert willy-willy, being blown around from opal fields to miners camps, mixing it with the hardy souls of the outback, many of them living gems. Characters full of life with stories of missed fortunes and found treasures, some still lost deep in the search. The awe inspiring ghost gums majestically line the river’s edge and the ancient handmade aboriginal rock water holes are all full now, in country that can be so incredibly dry. A rustic old abandoned miner’s hut now stirs only with a desert zephyr, suspended in time, as if waiting for it’s long lost owner to return. Spectacular colours of blood red and golden orange stream from a Koroit sunset as we watch the sky slowly melt into an endless starry blanket above our camp fire and drift off into the complete silence of the desert night.
As each of the stones was gathered, and with new found inspiration needed for this year’s sculptures, we were released from the magic of the Opal fields to return to our studio to transform these raw gems into timeless art pieces.
These ancient fascinating stones… What stories do they have, waiting to be revealed as they chatter away in the car over another dusty, corrugated western Queensland road? Listening to their whispering I find myself dreaming, lost in the potential for carving these inspiring stones.
As we head to our studio, our thoughts go out to new friends, left in their search for that “special” stone. Surrounded by their desert sanctuaries, still looking for that patch, a fiery pocket of colour, a treasure that takes your breath away… leaving you speechless!
And, what of opal “the celestial temptress”…?
Had she lured me again to seek her out amongst the never ending gibber and gidgee plains, to a little place call Koroit?
Did “the temptress” accept Lorrae as her sister, allowing us to wander freely in her desert paradise?
Did she scatter the trail with stones of fire as gifts to her favoured sculptor?
Or am I simply nothing more than another natural element necessary in the final transformation of these prehistoric wonders?
And, will we once again hear and feel that irresistible urge to return to this ancient place in search of electric opal?
We hope so… ;)
The township of Yowah plays host to its annual Opal Expo every year in July and is a great way to sample the many types of opal from all around the area as the show brings miners and dealers in from far and wide with a huge collection of rough through to finished stones. We, too, will be exhibiting our sculptures at this year’s show, highlighting the latest 2023 series with some of the beautiful examples of the Koroit material that we have gathered and carefully carved into natural freeform sculptures and presented on Australian timber stands.
If you would like to meet the artist, we will be exhibiting this year at:
Winton Opal Festival 7th - 8th July, 2023
Yowah Opal Festival 15th-16th July, 2023
Lightning Ridge Opal Festival 26th - 29th July, 2023
Look forward to seeing you there!
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