A lonely road in the Dandenongs

Ferntree Gully/ Dandenong scene, a photo by bobmendo on Flickr.

Winding down the road from Melbourne's eastern suburbs through the Dandenongs on Saturday, we stopped in Sassafras for some lunch and old stuff shopping. It was great.

I was reminded as we wove our way through the forest of Ferntree Gully about my love for the Heidelberg school of artists from Australia. These folks were trained in Impressionism about the same time (late 19th century) and included men like Charles Conder, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton. I have always found their paintings fresh, and frontier, with natural beauty and perhaps a single horsemen or a lonely bush scene. See HJ Johnstone's Backwater of the Murray or Condor's 'Holiday in Mentone' ( Mentone) both are in Adelaide Art Gallery.

But when I drove through this area of the country, I flashed on Eugene Von Guerard's painting of the same name: See it here: Ferntree Gully I did not take that photo.

But I did see the beauty that Von Guerard did, and this was over 120 years later! What God has made is awesome. I'm pleased to be able to see His handiwork and give Him thanks. I recommend you do the same. Even today. With a big building next to you or wrapped around you. Or if you are in hospital or on the beach.

Wherever you are, give thanks to God. He is worthy!