Jarridi Jila
THIS IS JARRIDI WATERHOLE PEOPLE COME HERE TO MEET AND DANCE
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Tali and Bush Flower
This painting is about the tali (Sandhills) and the bush flowers that come out after the hot weather rain. There are families staying together and going hunting and collecting seed and bush food.
It is my grandfather’s country.
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Martuwarra
Sonia was born by a billabong at Noonkanbah community. Her parents were Walmajarri whose movements led them to live by the Fitzroy River. Sonia has lived most her life at Noonkanbah. A compulsive artist, Sonia for a long time was a teacher’s aid at the local school where she facilitated art making with the children. Illustrative of her attachment to the country where she grew up, an intimate life with the river, Sonia’s art is a saturation of river country motifs, be it parlka (barramundi), brim, tortoise, stingray, pandanus trees or the water itself. “Martuwarra is my river country; this painting is all about the Fitzroy River which flows down through Noonkanbah where I live. All kinds of fish live in the water, we catch big mob of fish here. I like Parlka (barramundi). We catch catfish and brim here too. Nganku (shark), Wirritunany (sawfish) and Stingray also live here. These fish live in these waters long after the flood has gone. Also this painting is about barramundi swimming on the surface of the water, you can also see the Wakiri (pandanus tree) and rocks all around. When the barramundi get tired they go back into the rock holes. These rock holes hold all the Parlka (barramundi) that live in the river. Kalpurtu (creator serpent-type being) also live in these rock holes and swim all around the Palma (creeks) and all around the Wakiri that grows in the river.”
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Gogo Station
This is about Gogo station on the old road. When I was young we were living there. We used to collect the coloured rocks from the hills, all different colours. Our mothers too and parents collected stones. We would gift it to our teachers and people as a gift from our country.
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My Mother Country
I’m painting my Mother’s country near Yakka Yakka.
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Willi and Wirnpa Waterholes
This is my Mother’s country out in the desert. My mother was born in this country that is why l paint her country. Makes me think how she walked for miles to get to other people’s country but still thinks of her own country out in the desert.
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Gogo Station
This is about Gogo station on the old road. When I was young we were living there. We used to collect the coloured rocks from the hills, all different colours. Our mothers too and parents collected stones. We would gift it to our teachers and people as a gift from our country.
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Nyijil Nyijil
Tutujarti trees (desert walnut tree) and Yarun (blood wood) all around the big waterhole called Nyijil Nyijil, that way out in the desert; That’s my family country, my family comes from the desert”. The waterhole is from rainwater”
Turtujarti trees are valuable for their walnuts, which can be eaten when cooked, and also used for a black dye or paint. Yarun wood is used for making coolamon, source of Bloodwood Apple, bush honey,The women get gum and seeds from the Bloodwood tree and put them on their heads as decoration.