Mr Kelly’s Observatory (Jenico Street, Queenstown, Tasmania)

As a child growing up in Queenstown, this quirky construction of rusting corrugated iron intrigued me. I wondered if it was a science laboratory or could it be someone’s home? Years later, I was to discover that this was the home of the late Mr Leo Kelly. He created works of art in his studio, worshiped the Lord in his private chapel and gazed at the stars in the night sky from his observatory. I strongly felt the need to capture the uniqueness of this place on canvas, before nature engulfs it and it becomes only a memory.

Maxine Brown

2019

Acrylic on canvas