Watson’s “Water Dreaming” paintings are from Talerada, near Lake Mackay in the Northern Territory. The Water dreaming story tells of how to find water and how to travel from one water hole to the next.
The concentric circles represent water holes, the dots and unique snake-like swirls express the landscape. “I continue painting my fathers and grandfathers Dreamtime stories, just as they have done.”

Watson’s painting “Fire Dreaming with Snakes" is from Talerada, close to Lake Mackay in the Northern Territory. Watson’s unique style of curved, snake-like swirls, fused with traditional dotting, is a contemporary expression of ancient Dreaming stories.
The use of fire for back-burning is an important part of land management. In central Australia there are vast plains that are used for hunting grounds. At the right time of year fires were lit to flush out animals and ensure bushfires would not run rampant across the country. The long, curved lines represent snakes; the concentric circles with the four horizontal lines represent hunters waiting at their campfires.

Sammy’s country, Pikilyi, is Snake Dreaming country. Pikilyi is a large and important water hole and natural spring near Mount Doreen station, represented by the concentric circles. Pikilyi Jukurrpa (Vaughan Springs Dreaming) tells of the home of the rainbow serpents, ancestral heroes, who lived together as man and wife. Women of the Napanangka and Napangardi skin group would groom the serpents and for this service would be allowed to take water from the sacred spring. The serpents were the ‘kirda’, or ceremonial owners, for that country. The spirits of these two rainbow serpents are still at Pikilyi today.

Sammy Butcher is a former member of the Warumpi Band and in the late 70’s toured the world living the dream of an international rock star.

Now Sammy runs the Warumpi Recording Studio in Papunya where he teaches young people music.

Money raised from the sale of Sammy’s art will help support programs at the Warumpi studio in Papunya.

Watson Corby Tjungurrayi is a second-generation Papunya artist. His father was David Corby Tjapaltjarri, one of the original Papunya Artists.

Watson has been working with Rare Earth Foundation learning media skills so he can continue to record his culture with his children.
With the support of REF, Watson created a film about his Grandfathers country, travelling with his family back to their traditional lands to teach his children about the Dreamtime.