I love our local art prize – and am super happy to be involved again this year. It takes on issues close to my heart, relating to environment, access to open space and transportation. I’m happy to be featured in both the local and open categories with my two works, both exploring the Gumbramorra Swampland.
In my little stop motion Ibis, I have observed and drawn in willow charcoal an Ibis foraging in an puddle – a little ephemeral habitat that only appeared with La Niña, a reminder of the Gumbramorra Swampland that was once a rich and biodiverse part of the Goolay’yari / Cooks River ecosystem.
I then created this large companion piece for the stop motion, Once was Gumbramorra Swampland, an ink, watercolour and charcoal drawing, also of Ibis, wading through a large puddle (small body of water really!) on the oval of Marrickville High School. They looked so peaceful, majestic. As a 'fairytale' border for these Ibis, I have included a small selection of just some of the locally native flora that would have originally grown here. The lost biodiversity. A glimpse of a magical world decimated by development, canal systems and drainage.
Once was Gumbramorra Swampland, ink, charcoal and watercolour
Ibis, a 34 second stop motion animation with sound, using willow charcoal.