This is my second attempt at a papunya dot painting, introduced to me by my niece Sophie.  (I like her’s better! See below.) I decided to name this one Sophie Butterfly and give it to her.

Here is a little info about Papunya Dot Painting:

Aboriginal art is one of the oldest continuous art traditions in the world. It did not come to the attention of the world until the second half of the 20th century. In 1971 in the settlement of Papunya, located in central Australia, Geoffrey Bardon, an art teacher encouraged local elders to paint traditional designs on the school wall. Art is central to Aboriginal life and is linked to religion, serving as a connection for humans to their ancestors, the supernatural spirit world, and past to present. Art centers around the “Dreaming”. Dreaming is a term used to describe Aborigine mythology and religion. It explains the creation of the universe and a time beyond. It describes the creation of the landscape by supernatural beings and creator ancestors. It also describes the formulation of religious and social laws. SomeDreamings relate to a particular place while others cover a variety of places.

The paintings are laid flat on the ground allowing the artist to work from all sides. There is no horizon line because the point of view is not looking across the landscape but from above the landscape. Dots were originally used to outline objects and artists extended this to cover the canvas. One use of dots may have been to produce stimulating visual effects to invoke the presence of supernatural beings. Another use may be to camouflage sacred symbols. On a higher level, the painting connects to and evokes ancestral power and is used in ceremonies toward a specific end. At this level of meaning, concentric circles represent passageways for ancestral power lying underground. People have clan or totemic connections to these ancestors. They have social and religious ties to the environment since many of the plants and animals in the environment represent ancestral or creation beings. These become the subjects of the paintings, rendered in abstract forms.

For more info visit: Papunya Dot