Pope's talent stretches from the mountains to the sea

The latest four posters feature the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, a serene Moruya River with seaplane flying overhead, beloved Broulee beach ("fresh sets departing daily") and the Batemans Bay bridge over the Clyde River, without construction of the new bridge in the picture.

Pope's images of treasured spots along the coast has so far raised more than $50,000 for grants to bushfire-affected communities, administered by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal Public Fund.

"People send me photos of where these things are popping up in pubs and businesses and people's homes and that's really nice to see and I think it's just a sign these places are really special to people," he said.

He decided to add the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, which was also affected by last summer's bushfires, with visitors barred from the reserve due to the threat of the Orroral Valley bushfire. Tidbinbilla has now reopened and the ACT government has waived entry fees until the end of 2020, with new viewing platforms and upgraded paths finished in the interim.

Pope said his poster of Tidbinbilla, like some of the others, had a surreal touch, a platypus and part of the distinctive Granite Tors floating in the air.

"When I think of Tidbinbilla, it's those Granite Tors but it's also the wildlife conservation measures and seeing the platypus in the wetlands area, so it was just a surreal way of bringing those two elements together," he said.

As it was for many Canberrans, a chance to experience the peace and tranquility of the bush on the doorstep of the national capital.

"I like quite a number of the tracks in Tidbinbilla. I like going up to Camel Back, particularly when there's snow about and you can hear the lyre birds on the way up," he said.

"Gibraltar Rocks is good, too, for the views. The park has a lot of different and interesting aspects."

Pope has been completing the series while on leave or in his spare time.

"I started doing the Moruya one earlier this year but there was so much smoke around, I just put it aside. I was able to get back down after lockdown to finish that," he said, adding it had been good to visit Moruya when it wasn't under siege from the fires.

The jumping fish of the Broulee print was a nod to a fish salesman from the farmers' market who lost their shed in the fires.

"When you visit Broulee, you see the fire came up to the back of the town," he said.

"For me, Broulee is sitting on the rocks, watching people surf. It's a relatively busy beach, so I wanted that."

Pope said he also started drawing the Batemans Bay bridge earlier this year, wanting to get it secured before the construction of the new bridge encroached too much on the picture.

"I decided to keep it simple as a record of that bridge," he said.

He was pleased his work was being translated into help for bushfire-affected communities. Next stop was Eden.

In the meantime, Pope hoped that climate change policy was put back on the public agenda crowded by COVID-19.

"I'm drawing these places because I like them and they're special to us and hopefully that fortifies us to take the steps to prevent even worst catastrophes down the track. That's my motivation for doing it," he said.

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And he was glad the foundation was continuing to put the money towards projects to keep the South Coast on track.

"Recovery is now a short-term thing," he said.

"Canberra had that experience in 2003, the impact of these things roll on for years."

All prints are available at redbubble.com/people/coastiscalling/shop. Each comes as poster, a framed or unframed art print, a greeting card or a notepad.