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I知 a member of the Lockhart River Art Gang. We池e a group of young Aboriginal Artists from the east coast of Cape York in Far North Queensland. I work from the Art Centre here. I mainly do paintings on canvas ... sometimes I do printing ... screen prints, etchings and lino prints. Now I知 trying something different; making a sculpture and I think I really like the sculpture figures I知 doing ... something new to do and learn. My recent works are about country and stories passed on to me by my family. I like to paint about those stories ... good to understand ... so I can tell my kids about those story places and why they are important to our family.
I have two young children, Franziska is six and Croyston is three. We live with my mother in Lockhart River. My family comes from Umpila. Umpila is one big tribe but my family come from a small area called Chester River ... in language we call it Pathaco. I went there for a Land Claim meeting with all the other Umpila tribe. Franziska was only 4 months old when I took her over. My Uncle Blade told me to make her swim in the river at Pathaco and he also told me that she won稚 ever get sickness from other people. That swim in the river made her strong.
When I left School and came back to Lockhart ... Franzisca was born ... I was like all the other mothers in Lockhart ... stay home ... no job ... get bored ... until one day Rosie Lloyd came and asked me to work at the art room at the school. From there my life started getting better. I thought to myself ... what the hell ... I知 not going to waste my life sitting at home all the time ... I知 going to get out and make a name for my family. Last year, when I wanted to do a painting for Art of Place Awards in Canberra, I asked my Uncle Blade to give me a story for Pathaco. When he gave me my story, I really liked it and it was the first time that my uncle told it to me ... and now I tell Franziska that story ... each night when she goes to bed she asks me to tell her that story again ... about Miiku ... the sea snake ... he痴 a quiet snake ... yellow and black.
I did a special painting for Art of Place and people really liked it and they really liked the story too. So, now I知 painting the whole story ... every time I tell the story ... I think of new things to paint. Till today, people like my painting and my family痴 proud of me ... proud of what I知 doing ... and I知 proud of what I知 doing. Sometimes when I知 bored ... I do my best paintings ... the feeling inside of me ... I don稚 know how to explain it ... I just let that feeling take a-hold of my hand ... just put the paint brush on the canvas and start painting away. And when I知 painting I feel happy ... just like someone痴 standing next to me watching what I知 doing ... makes me feel strong. Site maintained by Aboriginal Art Online |
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