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SugarBag Harvest

This painting depicts a Wagilak man harvesting Gugu, or sugar bag (native bush honey). The man is depicted with a dillybag, bondock or spear thrower, multiple spears and a bush axe. Above the man are some leaves and gum nuts, which when flowering are an indicator that the sugar bag is ready for harvesting. The hollow log features a “nose” or entry to the hive at the top of the cut open section. Honey is richly flowing out of the coolamon at the base of the hollow log.

Gugu is a highly prized bush tucker, and everything from the hive is used.

Painting has been completed using a mixture of modern paintbrushes along with a handmade grass reed brush called Jarlk. Jarlk are found in surrounding billabongs and wet areas, and shaped to create the fine line work. Fine line work on the body of the man, dilly bag, gum nuts and bondock are in Yirritja style and consist of multiple lines before alternating colour. Modern acrylic paint has been used.