Sampler VII

There’s a particular joy in discovering a ‘new’ material from the most familiar of plants – like these red wavy leaves (phyllodes, technically speaking) from dead Acacia paradoxa, commonly known as Kangaroo Thorn, Prickly Wattle and Hedge Wattle. Some Kangaroo Islanders call it Bugger Bush. I can relate to the name, having fought many battles to clear impenetrable thorny thickets from overgrown tracks. It’s too spiny for animals to eat and was historically cultivated as a hedging plant but is now seen as an environmental weed where it has naturalised in other states and countries. Yet these dense spiny bushes are ideal nesting sites for numerous species of tiny bush birds, providing a safe haven from predators, such as feral cats. It’s a matter of place.

Sampler VII
Kangaroo Thorn (Acacia paradoxa) seeds, twigs and leaves (phyllodes), linen thread and bookbinder’s gum on canvas
49 x 49 cm framed, image 22 x 22 cm
Framed in white moulding, with a white matt, internal side spacers, glass and hangers
SOLD – Private collection, New South Wales