Art meets science in the Queensland outback

The untouched beauty of Queensland's Idalia National Park has inspired a series of works by emerging artist Elisa Jane Carmichael , currently on display at The University of Queensland. Ms Carmichael, a descendant of the Quandamooka people of Moreton Bay, Queensland, was selected from a competitive field as artist-in-residence to join almost 80 UQ biological sciences students on a 2013 Outback Ecology Studies field trip. Working across the mediums of painting, design and sculpture, Ms Carmichael's work visually explores the beauty of nature and surrounding environments, translating her cultural connection with the land and sea. Ms Carmichael said the Idalia National Park landscape was unfamiliar and inspiring. "Flora, fauna and the natural environment are integral to my work, but this was my first time going out west to outback Queensland," Ms Carmichael said. "The residency provided a wonderful opportunity to immerse myself in an environment where I could explore a completely different aesthetic. "Idalia National Park was totally new - every corner we turned, the landscape was different to the last.