This is a painting of the artist’s Community, known as Juwurlinji. It is further north from Warmun, and it’s English name is Bow River. Tracey grew up and lived in the Bow River Community and learned a lot from her father, a renowned Gija artist, Rammey Ramsay.
“This is Bow River, this is where I grew up and Juwulinji is the Aboriginal name for Bow River. The stone on the top right is a dreaming for the Sand frog.”
In this painting, Tracey Ramsey depicts Gorge Yard – a beloved camping and fishing spot for the families at Bow River community. The water at Gorge Yard is abundant with black brim, turtles and crocodiles, making it a good fishing spot. Here, people like to jump and swim in the river to cool off. In the lower right-hand side of the painting is the holding paddock for the horses, where mustering takes place.
This is the blow fly dreaming; as we call it, Ngarankarni. “This hill my mum and dad been go up this hill looking for porcupine, and they been find it amongst the rock, but all the blow flies been surround them (too many).”
Tracey says this was a sign not to touch the porcupine and so Tracey’s parents, renowned Gija artists Rammey and Mona Ramsay, went back home instead.
This is the blow fly dreaming; as we call it, Ngarankarni. “This hill my mum and dad been go up this hill looking for porcupine, and they been find it amongst the rock, but all the blow flies been surround them (too many).”
Tracey says this was a sign not to touch the porcupine and so Tracey’s parents, renowned Gija artists Rammey and Mona Ramsay, went back home instead.
This is a painting of the artist’s Community, known as Juwurlinji. It is further north from Warmun, and it’s English name is Bow River. Tracey grew up and lived in the Bow River Community and learned a lot from her father, a renowned Gija artist, Rammey Ramsay.
“This is Bow River, this is where I grew up and Juwulinji is the Aboriginal name for Bow River. The stone on the top right is a dreaming for the Sand frog.”
This painting tells a story about NUGUWARRDING, that rainbow serpent, who travelled and lived around this area now called Doon Doon. Tommy says, “He went up to my grandfather’s country at the back of Speewah where there are gorges and rock holes.”
The solid circles represent the water holes in this area and the fluid lines are the hills around Doon Doon.
Tommy continues, “the story of this place was told to me when I was a young fella by my grandfather and his father. This snake was a father for this country, he traveled all over, sometimes he would stay for a few days then he would leave and pass through the next water place and stayed a bit longer.”
This painting tells a story about NUGUWARRDING, that rainbow serpent, who travelled and lived around this area now called Doon Doon. Tommy says, “He went up to my grandfather’s country at the back of Speewah where there are gorges and rock holes.”
The solid circles represent the water holes in this area and the fluid lines are the hills around Doon Doon.
Tommy continues, “the story of this place was told to me when I was a young fella by my grandfather and his father. This snake was a father for this country, he traveled all over, sometimes he would stay for a few days then he would leave and pass through the next water place and stayed a bit longer.”
This painting tells a story about NUGUWARRDING, that rainbow serpent, who travelled and lived around this area now called Doon Doon. Tommy says, “He went up to my grandfather’s country at the back of Speewah where there are gorges and rock holes.”
The solid circles represent the water holes in this area and the fluid lines are the hills around Doon Doon.
Tommy continues, “the story of this place was told to me when I was a young fella by my grandfather and his father. This snake was a father for this country, he traveled all over, sometimes he would stay for a few days then he would leave and pass through the next water place and stayed a bit longer.”
Patrick Mung Mung has been turning his brush to his grandmother and mother’s country Jarlaloon, as new memories of these days drift back evoking reconnection and reflection. Patrick says – ‘I’ve bin thinking clear lately. My mind is good and my memories are all coming back good and clear. My grandmother and my mother and their country, and life the way we used to live. All the stories they would tell me. All my old people and those times living old ways.”
The subtly varied pink ochres found, collected and prepared by Gija artists and artsworkers, are the pre-eminant features in this new body of work. His late wife B Carrington also loved to use the strong pink tones in her later work and he talks at times of finding her in those colours.
