White bush sugar from the leaves of the red river gumtree next to the swamp area. In the early days they cut the branches and shook the leaves. They fall and they collect them up to put in coolamon to make nice and sweet lollies.
It comes out in cold weather, not real windy, when its July and August maybe. We would always go out with my Grandmother collecting those things, long time ago, 40 years. My mother would go with her mother and her grandmother too, collecting that sugar.
We doing this painting and it’s reminding us about our mum. She would always come back to paint this one. It reminded her of when she used to collect them all with the kids. I always sit there alongside her watching her do that painting, looking at her doing these designs. She would tell me to do it this way and then do that way. I started helping her when she got sick. Painting this remind me of her, it’s like she’s here with us doing it. White bush sugar from the leaves of the red river gumtree next to the swamp area. In the early days they cut the branches and shook the leaves. They fall and they collect them up to put in cooleman to make nice and sweet lollies. It comes out in cold weather, not real windy, when its July and August maybe. We would always go out with my Grandmother collecting those things, long time ago, 40 years. My mother would go with her mother and her grandmother too, collecting that sugar. We doing this painting and it’s reminding us about our mum. She would always come back to paint this one. It reminded her of when she used to collect them all with the kids. I always sit there alongside her watching her do that painting, looking at her doing these designs. She would tell me to do it this way and then do that way. I started helping her when she got sick. Painting this remind me of her, it’s like she’s here with us doing it.
Nancy Long was born in Ali Curung, and went to school in Ali Curung. She started painting around the year 2000, joining her mother J Long Nampijinpa at the Ali Curung Women’s Centre. Nancy says, “My works are mainly seed story and bush medicine. I like to use tonal colours with rhythm and line.” More recently, Nancy has developed a practice alongside her sister Rene. It develops on the late paintings of their late mother, depicting Pereltye, a native bush lolly. They sometimes work alone and sometimes in collaboration with each other. The collaborative practice has garnered some acclaim, winning the Emerging category in the 2024 Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize and being selected as finalists in the 2024 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.
Desert Mob is presented annually in Mparntwe | Alice Springs on Arrernte Country.
On behalf of Desart’s staff and art centre members, the Executive Committee humbly and respectfully acknowledge the Arrernte Apmereke Artweye (Traditional Owners) and Kwertengerle (Traditional Managers) of Mparntwe.
Desart respectfully advises Aboriginal readers that this website may contain names, images and artworks of people who have passed away.
