Natural History

Meet a talented Northern Territorian who admires the vibrant colours of the western desert artists … particularly some of the women artists who must paint under particularly harsh social and physical conditions.

- Alison Worsnop

I have always had a special interest in natural history – plants, animals and their landscapes – both artistically and scientifically. I grew up in Oxford where I took an Honours degree in Natural Science (Zoology). It was not very useful in terms of earning a living, but the knowledge has been a continuing source of fascination and insight into the non-human world and a source of inspiration for my painting.

I later spent some years in the Solomon Islands. At that time it really was paradise: Exquisitely beautiful with unspoiled rainforested mountains; magnificent coral reefs; fascinating bird life; traditional villages; friendly (and apparently happy) people. I drew and painted passionately, importing all my materials from overseas; and I exhibited regularly. I met my husband Mike there. We returned to the UK and ended up in the bleak Shetland Islands before escaping to Australia.

Mike, myself and our two ex-RSPCA dogs now live in Humpty Doo, a rural area south-east of Darwin. Our ‘block’ is a strip of open woodland running down into a seasonal paperbark wetland. It does not match the Solomons for sheer beauty but I have learned to appreciate it because I understand the north Australian bush better. It changes dramatically with the cycle of the tropical monsoon climate. If I look, there is always something different and remarkable going on; something that almost demands me to paint it … a flower which will only last a couple of hours; translucent new leaves; the pattern of grass stems; the changing contours of erosion gullies; the flow of floodwater.