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Catalogue Number: 26/238
This painting tells the story of Aboriginal women going out together to collect bush medicine. The curved shapes in the artwork represent the women sitting in a circle on Country talking. As they sit, they yarn about where to find the best bush medicine leaves. The women have a coolamon beside them, this was an oval wooden bowl used in the old days to collect food into. After a big rain little yellow and purple flowers bloom and the green leaves grow. The bush medicine plant grows in rocky places and along hillsides. The green leaves are crushed and boiled to make healing medicine. The medicine they prepare helps with flu, colds, and pain. It is strong, natural and has been used for many generations.
This painting also shows how knowledge is passed down. As the older women work, they teach the younger ones. They show them how to look for the right plants, how to harvest them properly and how to prepare the medicine. This is how culture stays strong—by teaching and learning through each generation.