HYPNOTIC WATERWAYS
This original acrylic painting on canvas was inspired by viewing aerial views of waterways and how mesmerising and hypnotic the movement of water is whether its a river, swamp, lake, pond or the sea.
'POOTAMAY meaning TRUST'
This piece was commissioned by St Vincent's Hospital's Palliative Care Hospice - Caritas Christi in Kew. My aim was to create an artwork that reflects the Palliative Care experience from a First Nations perspective.The butterfly represents transitioning to the afterlife, their Dreaming, and trusting the process and people supporting them in the hospice, which are represented by the hands. The stars represent the Dreaming, where their ancestors live. The boomerangs represent them returning to their Dreaming and the blue journey lines have their stories and footprints in them that will always remain here. The butterfly's body is made up of two shields representing them feeling safe and the circles in the bottom of the butterfly represent their family, mob and community, whom they will continue to watch over.The small leaves in the butterfly represent letting go, like a leaf knows when to let go of the branch, when the time is right. The Red Tailed-Black cockatoo feathers represent them setting their spirit free. The larger leaves outside of the butterfly represent Country as their medicine and Country is also represented in the pink part surrounding the bottom of the butterfly. The green parts on either side of the butterfly shows the connections to different people, places, and animals that the person made during their life journey.
Acrylic on Canvas - 101.5cm x 76cm
GOOD TIMES GETAWAYS
This is another piece for friends that we were lucky enough to have a part of on our trip to Darwin in 2021.Starting from the bottom up, Uluru is represented in the bottom right corner, next to that the hill shapes represent Coober Pedy as the mounds of earth they dig up and the hidden gems under the layers of earth they need to dig through to reach them. The Brolga in the left bottom corner represents the bird life we witnessed along the way and the lizard and leaves representing the many types of reptiles as well as the many varying plant species.The circles represent fireworks in Marla and our journey line coming from that.Through the middle is the sun with our group surrounding it and the Murray river running through, which is also a special place to my friends.The gum leaves represent the therapeutic effect that being out on Country has and the beauty of the bush. The pools of water are the swimming holes at Litchfield National Park and next to them is an aerial view of Lake Moondarra at Mt Isa where the men went fishing. The croc represents Cahills Crossing and the jumping crocs tour we took on Adelaide River. The top left corner is the amazing rock art we walked along the rocky shelves to enjoy at Ubirr Kakadu and the Franjipani being my friend's favourite flower which we saw along the way.
101cm x 76cm Acrylic on Canvas
CHASING THE SUN
Friends that we were lucky enough to travel with on an amazing 6 week adventure travelling to the top end and back in 2021, asked me to capture the holiday in a painting.
The story has captured many places we experienced such as Coober Pedy, fireworks at Marla, Devil's Marbles, the magic Uluru, the beautiful Katherine Gorge, the amazing night sky, Leitchfield National Park waterholes, the amazing rock art at Kakadu, the croc represents watching the jumping crocs in Adelaide River and watching them at Cahill's Crossing, with the sun representing Darwin.There is also an aerial view of the Mt Isa mines where we went to the rodeo, as well as my version of different landscapes on Country in the outback. The large circle is our group with our journey line and the boomerang represents us all hopefully coming back together to go back and do it all again.
101.6cm X 76.2cm Acrylic on Canvas
WALLAWAR 'GLOW' DESIGN
This spectacular piece was created for the Warrnambool Art Gallery as part of the Wallawar festival held in November 2021. Wallawar means Glow in our local Peek Woorroong (Gunditjmara) language.
The story behind the Wallawar design was based on the thoughts of local Elders, reflecting on what our ancestors would have seen glow before colonisation.
The 3-metre x 3 metre inflatable illuminated ball represents the full moon. The use of the stars for navigation is represented in the top half of the design amongst the lightning, the volcanic lava flow from Macarthur to Killarney is represented through the middle, and the glow from all the campfires amongst the wetlands is represented in the bottom half of the design.
COASTAL CONNECTION
I was asked to create a piece that would reflect a couple's special connection to the coast, where they often go to collect shells. I have captured the sea and its waves, the sand dunes using patterns to portray movement with the dots representing the grains of sand.
Running through the middle are their footsteps left in the sand as they walk along and collect the shells they are drawn to and take home to add to their collection. Under that is their journey line with the patterns representing the good energy and therapeutic effect it has on them and their family.
91cm x 91cm Acrylic on Canvas
DRIVERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY
I am so excited, honoured and proud to be able to finally share with you all an artwork I was engaged by the First Peoples Assembly for Victoria to create, which will adorn the historical Treaty Negotiation Framework they are handing to the government, representing the Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hopes and wishes for a Treaty Agreement. I have done my best to try and capture significant and important areas that need to be explored and negotiated, remembering and honouring our ancestors plight along the journey towards Treaty, and the incredible positive and healing effect this will have on all our mob and future generations. Please click on the below link to check out the full Framework document.
You will find the artwork and its story are on the treaty negotiation framework on pages 66 and 67 by CLICKING HERE
SPRING OF LIFE
I was asked to create a piece that captured what this property would have had happening before colonisation, as the property has a natural spring which I have put in the middle of the piece as a focal point where many tribes would have stopped by or camped near for the continuous flow of fresh water which is what the 3 smaller gathering places represent. I have captured their journey from the ocean through the sand dunes through to Kelly's Swamp, with the footprints representing their journey.
The boomerangs represent them returning to the spring often. The turtle represents where my clients released a long necked turtle into the swamp. The small nests of eggs and bird tracks represent the eggs and birdlife that would have been a constant source of food around the swamp as well as the bushtucker being represented by the leaves and berries under the swamp. The pattern in the swamp where the circles join look woven as it represents the basket grass that would have also been sourced and used.There are eels on each side of the spring as they live in and around it, the emu and kangaroo tracks also represent the native animals that would have used the spring as a watering hole. The cows hooves represent the cattle that are on the property now, with the larger circle representing my clients home and family, who often see the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos and Wedge Tailed Eagles flying around their property.The stone axe represents where one was found on the property which reminds them of the First Peoples existence before the occupation of the land. The dogs paw prints are their pet dogs, that once would have been dingoes as pets hundreds of years ago. The flowering gum in the bottom corner represents a special place on the property that my client finds soothing and therapeutic with the layers of colours representing the good energy that comes from that.
101cm x 76cm Acrylic on Canvas
THUNDER POINT MEMORIES
I was asked to create a piece capturing childhood memories of Thunder Point used as a playground. The circular gathering place represents the playground with areas of footprints big and small amongst a pattern representing Country, which represents her as a child and still going back as an adult. The long lines of plants represent the coastal Pig Face plant that creeps along the land, the leaf represents a place of reflection, deep thoughts and healing whilst connecting with and looking out over the ocean.The two red swirls represent a couple of near drownings at the places where they occurred, the echidna tracks represent where she released an echidna, the boomerang represents going back to this special place and thinking back to childhood memories and experiences, with the seeds and flowers representing the memories of her and her father revegetating parts of the land there. Amongst the small rock pools off the coast I have also added the colours of the Blue Ringed Octopus as I was asked to include this in some form. I have also included a couple of midden sites reminding us of the ancient occupation our First Peoples had along our coast.
101cm X 76cm Acrylic on Canvas
DESERT DELIGHT
This piece was created for a couple we went on a trip across the Simpson Desert with. It starts with the man on the horse sculpture at Parachilna where we all met up to start the trip and stayed at a gorge across a dry riverbed at the start of the Flinders Ranges. We went on a flight over Kati-Thanda- which is Lake Eyre. I have captured an aerial view of this and the shadow of the plane going over. The pool represents Dalhousie thermal Springs, where we swam. The gathering place in the middle is our group of 8 with the wavy lines in the circle representing good energy and good times. Going across the middle of the circle is the journey over all the sand dunes we crossed, with Big Red at the end. The fireworks represent the 50th birthday celebration of one of our group members whilst in the desert. There are camel tracks, dingo tracks and emu tracks representing those we saw along the way and a small group of wild green budgies that looked like little green stars. The flowers each side underneath the gathering place represent the beautiful wildflowers that were in bloom throughout the desert. The hands represent a couple of accidental finger injuries, the top right is the Birdsville Pub where we stayed a couple of nights. The tree is the Bourke and Wills Dig tree that we visited. The small circles with different states on them are the two different places where we passed the border connections. The large shed at the bottom is Cordillo Downs which is the largest of its kind in the world, built in 1883 which we marvelled at. The saddle in the bottom right corner represents Pack Saddle Roadhouse where we had a great time on our way home.
91.4cm x 45.7cm Acrylic on canvas
CEREMONY
This original acrylic painting on canvas is about six tribes coming together for a ceremony in the sandunes during a full moon. It includes the grains of sand that still hold the essence of the songlines, traditions, movement, and culture within them.
91cm x 91cm Acrylic on Canvas
COLERAINE COUNTRY
I was excited to be contacted by a staff member from Coleraine’s St Josephs Primary School to produce an artwork that reflected their principal’s connection to the Coleraine area. I represented with the rolling hills and valleys, the school, represented by the Sticky Wattle which grows in the area and is on their school logo as well as the connection he has with Edenhope and Casteron schools which I represented with landmarks and gathering places.The cross represents his Christianity, values and beliefs and within the sun is his family, also with him embracing the children in what looks like flower petals. This was a beautiful surprise gift from the staff as the principal was leaving his role and moving towns.
1200 x 95cm Acrylic on Canvas
FRIENDS WITH NATURE
I was asked to create an artwork as a gift for a receptionist that was leaving a medical clinic. The brief I had to go off was that she loves nature, the ocean, empowerment, dead trees, quiet, natural therapies, is the founder of a Type 1 diabetes community support group, has three daughters and a super strong circle of friends.
91cm x 61cm Acrylic on Canvas