HEAD OF WANDJINA

COLORS used in this artwork ranges from peach to Naples yellow & rouge incorporating raw sienna.

BACKGROUND utilizes same coloring.

TEXTURING is medium. Edges of prepared board are highlighted by carved frame done in brilliant white, a striking contrast to main colors.

SIZE is 13 ½”H x 13 ½”W

CULTURAL INSPIRATION: This representation of rock art of a Wandjina head is located at Wanalirri in the Gibb River area in Kimberley, Western Australia. Wandjinas are Ancestral Beings pictured in human form, but often much larger in size—sometimes three times life size. They are the makers of land and sea and human beings, spirits and clouds. There is a complex Aboriginal mythology associated with the Wandjinas as they herald the coming of the wet season. Wandjinas are spirit ancestors that control law and nature. The predominance of white in the paintings is associated with the white cumulonimbus clouds, which precede the beginning of the monsoon season. The paintings are very colorful. Wandjinas are portrayed with no mouth because they contain the rain as well as lightning and thunder.