"I live in a suburb with lots of trees, particularly paperbarks and mangroves, which host epiphytes and mistletoe common to the local wetland ecosystem. One day I was moving quietly amongst the trees and connecting with the stillness, when I came across a fallen branch and discovered the intrigue of epiphytes. Epiphytes are plants that need a host species for support. Mistletoe is a parasite, which relies on a host for nutrients and will invade the plant tissue to obtain them. Both play important roles in the cycles of biodiversity and as a consequence, there is a lot going on behind the scenes; nature's relentless rhythms are concealed in the quietude. Most of the works in this exhibition are painted from actual plants that I've found, still attached to a branch or small stick, having fallen after heavy rain or strong winds.
Little Sticks is a series inspired by fallen sticks and branches and the epiphytes and lichens that grow on them. Mainly from Melaleuca trees (our native paperbarks), the sticks I've found have been host to a range of plants including the Australian ant-plant and button orchid, a range of native ferns, and colored lichens."
- Julie McEnerny
JULIE MCENERNY | 'Little Sticks #60 (Dischidia on Melaleuca)' | 2023 | Watercolour on paper | 15cm x 21cm | Khadi paper
