When I first moved from Inverloch to Kongwak in 2010, I wasn’t sure if it would be the place my family and I would stay. But, as I drove up the driveway and saw all the trees and an incredible flowering gum tree right outside the kitchen window, I knew it would be a good place to find some healing after difficult times.
I built my studio here at Kongwak not long after, and was still a little unsure whether it was the right decision. After all, we were off the grid here. I wasn’t sure people would visit and was doubting my decision.
Snakes are common in Kongwak. One day I was surprised by a big tiger snake at the back door of my studio. He was the first clue that my decision was the right one – staying in Kongwak would help my heart and help my work flourish.
You may be thinking, how on earth does a snake make me feel better? Well, symbolically, snakes represent creativity.
I asked a professional snake handler to move him, because he was too close to the doorway of the studio. It turned out he was an alpha male snake and had been living here for a long time. However, with all the new noise caused by us moving in, he was disrupted. The handler moved him 2km away into a bushy area where there was water and food, and told me he’d be happy there.
It was the first time I’d seen a snake up close. I’m naturally curious and don’t believe in coincidences, so I researched the symbology of snakes further.
I discovered in a lot of writing, snakes are represented as the highest form of creativity. If you want clarification, look up the spiral, the universal symbol of life.
My whole perspective instantly changed because I was already doing what I was reading. Painting spirals and telling stories about nature in my artwork. I had to trust the path I had chosen.
Kongwak was a new destination for my artwork, my family and myself. The snake was there to confirm that I was making the right choices and to just keep doing what I’m doing. I realised my painting has purpose, people would come. And they did. People continue to connect with my work and visit my studio, something I’m very grateful for.
I painted Flowering Gum to remind myself to trust, be guided by my intuition and listen to nature. Of course, I had to include the beautiful snake under the tree.
The real flowering gum, outside my kitchen window, continued to bloom for many years. It was a magnificent, warm orange that never ceased to amaze me. If you visited the Kongwak studio in summer, you would have seen it in all its glory.
