Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming - Sand-Hill Country (after Hailstorm) 2000

Kathleen Petyarre made this painting of the Mountain Devil Lizard Dreaming in Sand-Hill Country with acrylic on linen. It's all about process, right? The way she builds up this shimmering surface feels so methodical, like a ritual. The painting is mostly this dreamy off-white, but when you get up close, you see how it's made of tiny dots, like a pointillist landscape turned inside out. Then, these warm, sandy lines curve across the canvas, dividing it up and giving it this subtle rhythm. Look at how those lines aren't perfect, they wobble and shift a little, which gives the whole thing this amazing energy. It feels both precise and totally free. Petyarre's work always reminds me of Agnes Martin, but with a story, a connection to the land. It’s like she’s mapping not just a place, but a feeling, a dream. Art’s not about answers, but about opening up a space for wonder.