Mary Ngala Jones style is distinctively minimalist and she uses a very delicate dotting technique and traditional colours derived from natural ochres. Her Dreaming is the Bush Plum known to the Alyawarr as Arnwekety. Her painting reflects the changing seasons on the Bush Plum (Arnwekety) plant across her country of Arlparra. The Arnwekety is a rich source of vitamin c and is highly sought after by these bush women. Arnwekety can be found at Utopia from March through to May. Arrarntenh is a larger, grape size fruit and ranges in colour from a transparent skin through to light yellows and oranges, maturing into a bright pink or purple. All of her paintings reflect this Dreaming and the associated country around Utopia in the eastern central desert of Australia.

Mary paints her country from a ‘traditional’ perspective, surveying her landscape with a spiritual eye. Her role is learning its ancient history and all its physical characteristics as well as the responsibilities associated with maintaining the continuity of the land.

The dot-like appearance of shrubs, spinifex and other grasses from her country are another source of inspiration for her acrylic paintings on canvas. From her earliest works through to paintings of today there is a conceptual and a physical continuity.

Bush Plum Dreaming is on display at BELL & SON, 1 Begg Lane, Paddington, NSW (off Ormond Street, behind the Paddington Post Office) 02 9331 1990.