The Watchers

The work was inspired by the numerous silos across Australia that have been painted over recent years. When it came to a subject for the art on these silos it was fitting that our artwork featured sulphur-crested cockatoos, a subject close to our hearts since rescuing Billy the cockatoo in 2017. The title of the work is “The Watchers” as there is an aboriginal dreaming story about cockatoos being watchers of man and the environment to ensure that the earth is being treated properly. In today’s world there needs to be heightened awareness of the use and recycling of materials, and how we treat the land and nature. The work features 12 steel cans and paper recycled from old magazines. The work is not just traditional collage but a new technique we call “painting with paper” where the paper is laid down in tiny pieces like a mosaic. Each cockatoo has a different pose as it looks out over the land and the colours represent the sky and the land.