Yam Leaf by Dulcie Pwerle (SOLD)

Dulcie paints the flowers of a pencil yam called atnwelarr; a native trailing herb that will cover large areas of the ground after significant rain. Its luscious bright green leaves and yellow flowers bring the bush to life. Tubers (pencil yams) are found beneath the surface which is a favoured and nutritious food and there is a sacred Dreaming story for this yam that belongs to Dulcie's country, Alhalkere. This painting captures the untamed movement as the foliage emerges from the ground and sweeps across the desert floor. 

The background colour in this painting is Red Oxide, which in all probability is the oldest pigment colour ever used by humans. In the oldest cave paintings in Australia, Red Oxide is found in every one of them and forms a significant portion of the painitng if not in its entirety. This Red Oxide is a close match to the colour of the ground in Utopia in Central Australia; where Dulcie is from and lends authenticity to the leaves sweeping across the desert floor.