Bark Paintings

Nature's Canvas

The Morning Star

For more information about this bark painting visit the Morning Star page.

Painting on bark is a traditional way some groups of Australian Indigenous people record and illustrate life, stories and knowledge. The Burarra people use bark from stringybark trees and paint made from rocks, clay or charcoal.

Bark is cut from the stringybark tree during the Wet Season and in the early part of the Dry Season.

Once off the tree the outer layer is removed and the inner layer is scraped and smoothed and then cured over a fire to remove the curl.

Nature's Palette

The prepared bark is painted with red and yellow paints made from ochre (a powdery, coloured rock), white paint made from gypsum or pipeclay and black paint made from manganese ore or charcoal. Brushes made from sticks and bark are used to apply the paint.