Waterfalls
This artwork represents the waterfalls that flow over the Pilbara rocks after lots of rain on country.
I am inspired by the colours in the rocks, the seeds on the ground, and the way water moves through the land. When I paint, I think about the flow of a waterway. Water is always moving, and I follow that movement in my lines and shapes. The forms in my work come from that flow, and my colours come from what I see in Country. I use strong, vivid colours because that is how I see and feel the land. There is a lot of life and energy in it. This work is about my connection to Country and the way water, land, and memory all move together.
I am inspired by the colours in the rocks, the seeds on the ground, and the way water moves through the land. When I paint, I think about the flow of a waterway. Water is always moving, and I follow that movement in my lines and shapes. The forms in my work come from that flow, and my colours come from what I see in Country. I use strong, vivid colours because that is how I see and feel the land. There is a lot of life and energy in it. This work is about my connection to Country and the way water, land, and memory all move together.
After the rain the rivers and creeks in our country come alive with a new growth of plants . The country is filled with beautiful colours. We rejoice looking at our rivers and creeks full of water, so that we can go fishing, kids can go swimming and we can picnic with our families and friends
In this painting, My Country, the yellow and white circles represent the sun and moon. The blue circles represent the waterhole where the Warlu (snake) lives. The green circle represents the wet season and how it brings new life to the land. The two camps on opposite sides of the river are the two different groups that share the waterhole and river. The cloud in the sky is a reflection of the warlu heading down the river . The warlu travels through the sky. On the land you can see the trees and spinifex and a burn off, and the places that have already been burnt off.
The early morning mist over the water is the smoke from the breakfast fires of the Marrga, the creation spirits. According to Yindjibarndi law, in the beginning the sky was very low. When the creation spirits, Marrga, arose from the ground they raised the sky and the world out of the ocean. This creation story is called Ngurru Nyujunnggama, ‘When the World was Soft’. The Marrga gave names and form to the country and then to all the birds and animals. Finally they created the Ngaardangarli, the Aboriginal people.