Janet Timouth - Bush medicine flowers

Catalogue Number: 26/129

This painting shows the tiny bush medicine flowers that grow wild across Central Australia. These plants come to life in winter and early spring, especially after good rain. Their flowers are small but bright, standing out against the wide desert landscape.

The bush medicine plant has tiny yellow flowers and soft green leaves. When the season is right, local Aboriginal women go out into the bush to collect the leaves. These leaves are used to make healing bush medicine that families have relied on for generations.

The curved U shapes in the painting represent the women sitting on the ground as they harvest the leaves. Beside them is a coolamon, a wooden bowl that was used in the old days to collect food into.

The women pick the green leaves carefully so the plant can keep growing. The seeds fall to the ground or are carried away by the wind. Over time, new plants grow in their place, showing the cycle of renewal on Country.

This painting celebrates women’s knowledge, the healing power of bush medicine, and the way these plants continue to grow and support families across Central Australia.