Spears, carved birds etc

Traditionally men and women made artifacts according to their respective role as hunter/gatherer.

Boomerangs, shields, spears and woomeras were made by the men for hunting. Women wove baskets using plant fibres and plant dyes and the men would weave nets for fishing.

In the Kimberley artifacts were produced in abundance, then when the demand for paintings became popular, the artists began painting, producing works in ochre on canvas.

More recently, in centre Australia, as the tourist trade increased, wood carving has become popular. Small lizards, birds, snakes, coolamuns, digging sticks and traditional items that were used in ceremonies are skilfully made.

The missionaries taught the artists how to further enhance their work by burning designs into the wood using a wire heated over a fire, this is known as poker work.

If you want to see more go to site......

What is the Dreamtime

Anne, in answer to your question re the "Dreamtime"and paintings titled Emu Dreaming etc...

Each Aboriginal painting we see is a story relating to this Dreamtime, every Aboriginal person inherits their Dreamtime stories from their parents. These stories go back generations to the Creation time when the Creator Spirit swept across the countryside creating the plants and animals, wind and rain, also at that same time people were created and they were each given responsibility for various aspects of nature. It may be a plant, an animal or an area.

These Dreamtime stories are the “blue-prints” for the way that the people live their lives and protect and nuture all living things on the land for future generations. They are the law. The stories tell about the way plants grow and animals live, where water and food can be found.

We see titles of paintings relating to the Dreamtime “Honey Ant Dreaming”, “Dingo Dreaming”, “Barramundi Dreaming”, these creatures are the responsibility of the people who have learnt about them from their elders. They are their sacred totems.

Why don't the Aboriginal Desert artists use natural pigments?

Many people feel that the use of colourful acrylic paints by Aboriginal artists makes the works less authentic. This stunning work by Jeannie Petyarre has an amazing energy, but still maintains the vital elements of her Dreaming.

In the Desert works are colourful. When the missionaries first came to the area they introduced the artists to many different colours and mediums to produce work. They were given bright colourful clothes to wear.

Many of these colours were new to them and, to put it simply, give an artist colour and they will use it.

Whilst the painting styles and colours have changed the message is still the same as it was over 40,000 years ago. Many of the artists, like Jeannie, have become major artists on the world stage, their styles have evolved from painting very static work to works of art that can sit side-by-side with some of the greatest artists of all time.



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more about Aboriginal Children's paintings

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If you want to see more images of the children please go to my website

The works for sale have been done during the school holidays

Aboriginal Children's paintings

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The children of Yuendemu learn from their parents how to paint their Dreamtime stories, these stories are passed down from generation to generation and it's important to get them right. The Dreamtime goes back to creation when the creator spirit swept across the land making the plants and animals, trees, mountians and also humans. Each human was given responsibility for a plant, animal and part of the land which they had to learn how to look after and protect, then in turn pass on their knowledge to their children who would become caretakers.

These are the children who will learn from their parents to be those caretakers.

Some history.......

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Aboriginal paintings are a means of visual communication, Paintings were done originally on the body for ceremonies such as initiation or funerals. Cave walls depicted images of the Creator Spirits, animals and hunters. Drawings in the sand showed animal footprints or mapped the way to waterholes or ceremonial meeting places.

Today many paintings are done on canvas and paper, a lot, as in the case of the works coming from the Desert, have a very contemporary look to them.....the styles might have changed but the message is still strong.

These contemporary works are sought after by collectors worldwide and have put Aboriginal art on the map as a worldwide art movement, educating and making all who view these works learn more about the indigenous people of this country as well as an understanding of this land.

Buying Aboriginal art

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A lot of people are totally baffled when buying Aboriginal art for the first time, what sort of painting to buy and if I'm spending my hard-earned cash how do I know it' any good, will it go up in value and is it authentic???

Firstly, and I have said this over and over again not only to my students, but also to many who have contacted me to purchase....only buy a painting first and foremost if you really love it.

The major collectors of Aboriginal art are absolutely passionate about it, I havn't yet met one who isn't, and they do a lot of research and study... but the bottom line still is make sure you actually love the painting and can live with it, don't just buy if you think it's going up in value because it's by a famous artist...a lot of people have been caught out by that.

Over this next week I'm going to write about the in's and out's of purchasing a painting...if you have any questions please ask away