Atnyerlenge (Native Fuchsia) | 36h x 31w | RK865
Not stretched or framed | Acrylic on primed linen
Anna is daughter to June Bird and Johnny Tilmouth. She is also the granddaughter to well known Utopia artist Ada Bird Petyarre (deceased). Anna has grown up with a strong tradition of painting. When she was younger, she accompanied her grandmother on trips to Melbourne and she now shows a confidence in her own painting style, often experimenting with new designs and use of colours.
In this painting, Anna paints the story of the Atnyerlenge (Native fuchsia) plant. It is an important plant in Anna's country because of the sweet honey found in its flowers. The honey is usually sucked straight from the flower. The Atnyerlenge has beautiful red flowers and is found all over her country. In this painting she depicts the flowers of this plant and its seeds (dot work).
Anna says, 'We boil the leaves in water and crush. Good bush medicine. Good for itches, cough, sores and headache. We use boiled water (it's green) for wash.'