Mick Quilliam

Mick is showing the connection of Mother Earth with her Tasmanian land and sea. He has used the imagery of some of the ancient Tasmanian petroglyphs as the centre and segment junctions of Mother Earth. These rock engravings can be found in some parts of Tasmania – mainly in the north western coastal areas. The outer area represents the sea and the rivers and creeks that flow into the sea. The platypus (a monotreme) is in its natural environment swimming in the creeks and rivers in search of food. Penguins abound along the extensive coastline. Each segment within the central circle shows important aspects of traditional living. The echidna (the other monotreme) is shown meandering around looking for ant nests. The dragonfly hovers over waters and shows its short spell of beauty. The wattle (witchetty) grubs are a source of food and also the best bait to catch a trout! The wattle seeds are an important food source as they can be ground and used to make damper – a bush bread. In all, the artist has composed a bright and detailed dedication to Mother Earth.