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Yarning Circle
Natural Inspiration
First Nations Peoples of Australia have been living in harmony with nature for more than 60,000 years, so it’s no surprise that natural elements appear in both traditional and modern art. Research Warlpiri (NT) artist Lyn Ward Napangardi’s work Water Dreaming (2019). What natural elements can you see?
Explore your local environment and choose a natural motif (a recurring theme, pattern, or shape) that you can recreate in your own artwork, for example, the firework burst of the scarlet gum’s flowers, or the oval symmetry of the Christmas Beetle. Choose an artistic medium and create a personal, meaningful work of art inspired by nature.
Going further: Research an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artist or illustrator from your local area. Consider their style, the tools and colours they use, and the shapes or motifs they incorporate into their artwork, before creating an original work in the same style. Use an artistic medium of your choice.
Note for teachers: Read this article to learn more about cultural appropriation of Aboriginal art.
Natural Inspiration
Our story is in the land. It is written in those sacred places.
