During the full moon tides were extreme, fish seemed to be frightened off and people became erratic in behaviour. My father told me that the energy given off was very powerful and he told me it was better to be quiet and be still at these times to take this energy in.
During the school holidays my cousins would take me to our Ukerhab Island to catch mud crabs and my cousins would have to steal gapples we’d try and find crab holes on the low tide and try and pull crabs out of the hole then my cousin would cook them on the camp fire.
In winter time the sea mullet would travel north for spawning. The local fishermen got excited cause there was good money to be made from catching sea mullet. I would go on to the high sand dunes with my dad, hoping to spot a patch of mullet travelling along the shore. The weather was cold and rainy but it was my fathers livelihood. He had to do it to make a living.
This painting I would go help my sister check her crab pots. Summer was the best time of year for mud crabs. My sister caust mud crabs and sold them to make extra money. She had seven children to feed. She would give me a couple of crabs to eat for helping her out.
After my father and uncle had set their nets in the river they would come back to camp and start a fire to keep warm and boil water for a cup of tea. They might have a sleep before they went back ou to check if there’s any fish caught in their nets.
This painting is called starbright. When I was young I would sneak out the back door and go down to the beach at night and stare at the stars. Years later my sister told me she used to do the same thing. I think she also got a lot of peach from star gazing.
This painting is of me and my mother and father “pippying” at the beach. Pippis were a staple food in my community and winter time was the best time of year to go. Sometimes there would be a couple of families that would go. The women would clean and cook the pippis in big pots as there were lots of mouths to feed.