What’s happening in Newman today?
In the studio, I’m painting a big canvas, for me it’s a big canvas. First one. That ones going to go in the NAIDOC exhibition. It’s not like my messy work, it’s very neat. I love doing that as well as doing my messy ones. A lot of energy in those ones. Today it’s just me and Marlene painting. I think everyone else is just cold! Or sun baking somewhere.
How do you like your tea?
Oh I love my tea. I like it in those big greedy cups, the big enamel ones, or in a Yeti cup – it keeps it warm. I like it white, maybe two sugars. Somedays two sugars, on other days 1 and a ½.
How did you get involved with Martumili?
That’s a long story, that one. I used to paint at school. Doing just some small things and then I went to boarding school out in Jigalong. But before that I used to draw things in the sand. No pencils, no colouring books or anything. Just sit around, on the ground.
And painting at school, I really enjoyed it. And then they asked me, can you do 3 of these, but we want lungi in it (so witerchy grubs). And I’m like “mmmmm, yeah I can do that”. And then I looked at it and thought “this looks good”.
I did one painting in boarding school, it took nearly forever. I think I was home sick, I missed family. And I just thought of one day and what we did, and how the day was – it was beautiful. We were heading back from NALINGI and saw a Goanna on the road and so I just did a painting about that. I ended up finishing it, but I left it back at boarding school. And I thought I lost it, until my nieces went to boarding school, and they said ‘MUM! I CAN SEE YOUR PAINTING, IT’S IN THE OFFICE!”
I’m like – that’s good, I’m glad it’s still there, that they didn’t chuck it away or anything. I think that went into an exhibition. From there, I came back from boarding school, there was word floating around that they were going to do an art centre. We were all painting at the TAFE in Jigalong. Gabriel suggested Martumili. I was hearing a lot of word of mouth, people saying “this and that.” I was just listening, listening and thinking “I need to find out about Martumilli.”
So I came in, signed myself up and said “ok I’ll try this.” So I started painting, all those years ago – I was about 19 when that was happening. In my bio is a picture of me at 19 years old. It was great.
I went away for 10 years, came back now. Saw I had no artwork left in the art centre, so I had to go all out, do a whole heap of new paintings. And it’s great. it’s a lot of change from the little buildings, from the little dongers, to this lovely big shed now.
What does a typical day at Martumili look like?
I come in, if Marlene’s coming in – maybe 8am. Then start painting, then realise its lunch. And I think ‘really? Its lunch time already? I just do a whole heap of painting. Yarning with the old girls. Talking about this and that. Gossiping. Always Gossiping. Nah, but all good things!
How did you learn to paint?
School first. It was hard. I’m trying to encourage my daughter, to start painting. And I try and encourage all the kids. They think they’re going to do a perfect painting, straight up. But it takes time. You have to make so many mistakes, and maybe that mistake is the best thing you did in that painting. And artwork is not… nothing is wrong. Maybe in your eyes, but to somebody else, it makes it unique!
I do painting and weaving. I learnt weaving, I saw Mum Kumpaya weaving, a long time ago, and I wondered what she’s up to. And then my auntie was doing it, Miss Booth. She was doing baskets, and I used to just watch her, and she would just tell me ‘put this grass here, strip this for me, take those roots off there.’ I would just muck around with it. Then she looks at me, and says “Wanti, do the centre for me, so I can do the basket”. So I was making little rings, for my auntie, so she could do her baskets. It was fun. You know Martu, they learn from looking, from observing. So from there, I started doing weaving.
What’s next for you? What are your dreams?
I want to do some more baskets, and more weaving. I would love to do a real big painting. Between, doing both, do a little bit of weaving, a little bit of painting. Alternating, from one to another.
– Words by Laura Evans in conversation with Kathleen.
