Cameron Ross Kemarre

As a child my father would gather my two brothers, one sister and myself, and head straight to the rivers and creeks, always after the big rains. Two or three days after the water levels go down, out west of Yipirinya (Alice Springs), Hugh River, Ellery River, Finke River, to see the fish, schools of pretty fish. So many different looking fish, different colours. So beautiful and bright, and unbelievable, it was a buzz for us children to see such a miracle of life.
For dad told us how the water doesn’t last, weeks, not long. Only permanent water holes and gorges, gaps, held their water. So all the fish only lasted a very short time. That’s why it was important for our dad to show us straight away or you miss it till the next flood time/ big rains. 4, 5 maybe 6 or more weeks, it would rain big time. Times have changed, the old grandfathers don’t sing rain anymore like that. It still rains and maybe one day ill get to see all the fish, and pretty rainbow, colours, water hole, gorges, gaps, of the beautifulest country on earth, Aranda country, my dad’s, mum’s, people’s country.
I really do love this painting, the way it looks, and what it means to me. It’s really rainbow country.