Jon Dorne’s Boab Tree

Artist Jon Dorne, with Boab Tree (2026).

You may have seen Jon Dorne’s Boab Tree in the JOY exhibition at Luminance Gallery for Christmas ‘25. It was an exuberant, joyous, mosaic-like artwork that a couple visiting from Sydney bought and took home.

Beverly came into the gallery during that time. The Lake Innes resident saw the Boab Tree, loved it, but wasn’t ready to buy. Bev came back a month or so later and asked if it was still available. When she heard it had sold, she asked if Jon would paint another.

So he did. And when Beverly came back for a private viewing, it took less than a heartbeat for Beverly to say: it’s beatiful, I’ll buy it.

It’s a privilege to have looked over Jon’s shoulder as he painted this boab. The work-in-progress photos give a wonderful sense of what’s involved: patience, confidence and skill being core requirements. But it’s the artist’s creative vision that brings it all together, and therein lies the magic. If you happen to walk past this boab at midnight or thereabouts, you’ll see a yellow moon to the left, shining a light.

Jon Dorne, Boab Tree (2026), acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 91cm.