When I place a head in the landscape-type of background I try to depict a momentary thought as it appears to cross the subject’s face. This process is about how I think and understand the way that time, the ages and history are recorded in rocks. For me gorge formations are like reading and imagining a story about the earth’s history.
The Golden Spike mentioned in the artwork titles is a particular rock formation dated about 500 million years old located in Brachina gorge in the Flinders Ranges. This locale is also home to fossils that are examples of the first animal life.
The head-images, abstracted and partially exaggerated anatomy meld with parts of the landscape as though the skull and earth’s crust both hold beneath them the forces of creativity and nature. The abstracted shapes that seem to happen come from an imagined element of the thinking process.
Elaine d'Esterre 
Beautiful, beautiful work, Elaine!
I love your connection to the earth, too. I live in a fossil rich area it makes me feel very connected to the earth.
Our river even has ancient stromatolite fossils from when the area used to be covered in salt water: http://drawandshoot.me/2012/09/15/mapping-the-shoreline-2-stromatolites/
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Hi Karen I went to your link and viewed the stromatolites. They are so clear and I love the contrast between their presence and that of the modern bridge. You are most fortunate to be in such close proximity. The fossils in the Flinders Ranges here are being recorded by an American (think she may be from California) palaeontologist Dr Mary Drosser (sp?). ( hope facts are correct). At the east end of Brachina gorge are fossilised stromatolites and I think they much older. Ive yet to explore our fossil coast down here. Thank your for the fascinating link.
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