1989
Language Group:Alyawarre
Country:Atnangkere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas
Subjects:Wild Flowers, Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming, Ntyerrm (Seed of the Dogwood Tree), Alpite (Wild Flowers)
Rosabella Long Petyarre is an Alyawarre artist connected to Atnangkere Country in the Utopia region of Central Australia. Rosabella began painting in 2007 when she approached Mbantua Gallery to try creating her first artworks. With a natural talent and love for painting, she quickly developed her own artistic style and has continued to create beautiful works inspired by her Country and cultural stories.
Known especially for her colourful Wild Flower paintings, Rosabella also paints the important Arnkerrthe (Mountain Devil Lizard) Dreaming passed down through her father's Country, Atnangkere. This powerful ancestral story tells of Arnkerrthe travelling across the land, creating people, sacred sites, songs and Dreaming stories.
Rosabella's artwork reflects both her cultural inheritance and the influence of her artistic family, including her mother Marcia Turner, younger sister Sacha Long and extended family of artists. Through her vibrant colours and soft brushwork, she continues to share the beauty, stories and traditions of her Country.
Rosabella's painting represents Alpite (Wild Flowers) which bloom after a good rain. The women collect a lot of these flowers as some are sweet with nectar and others have medicinal properties. Other flowers are left as the women know that later in the season they will produce different types of edible berries.
