Maisie paints the bush tucker found in her country, the area that surrounds Boundary Bore in the Utopia homelands. She paints bush plums, bush bananas, bush potatoes and bush medicine plants. The main motif which recurs often in Maisie artworks is a full coolamon. When she paints she always speaks of gathering and hunting on her country ‘long way from here, long time ago’, filling up coolamons with ‘bush potato, bush banana, goanna and porcupine.’ Maisie always says her family are ‘happy ones, healthy ones.’
Maisie was one of the original Batik painters of Utopia. Maisie and her sisters Bessie, Kate and Josie are prolific painters who learnt to paint by watching their mother Polly Ngale.
Growing up on Utopia Station, her family worked at the station. Her father was a stockman and worked with horses and cattle. She loved the life and growing up at the cattle station with her family.
My Country after Apangw (Big Rain) “This is country after we’ve had apangw (big rain). The new grasses are coming up and the water is flowing.” Kwatcha (water) is a valuable and a much revered resource Read more…
View Of Country This shows the layered landscape of Alyawarr, Central Australia. Knowing your country is an important part of living in a remote community like Ampilatwatja. Knowing when and where to go hunting and Read more…
Michelle Pula Holmes – My Country When I go out hunting I always like to see the colour in the trees, the light, the dark and the bush medicine plants growing on the sand hills. Read more…