Echidna in Kangaroo Grass #3

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of Australia’s most well-known native mammals. Echidnas are usually solitary, but in early spring, ‘echidna trains’ composed of a single female trailed by one to ten males, can be seen for several weeks. At Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, a protected area in the north of Canberra, an annual ‘echidna sweep’ forms a community event that monitors the population in the absence of predators like foxes, which elsewhere predate heavily on newborn ‘puggles’.
This is a one-of-a-kind unique print (hence U/P on the title of the work) that uses several printing techniques to create a multi-layered piece of art.

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I'm a printmaker, my work focuses on the natural patterns and intricate details found amongst Australia’s unique fauna, flora and ecosystems. I use various printmaking techniques to create finely detailed studies of my subjects, often within abstracted, multi-layered settings that reflect the habitats and environments of each subject.

I started my printmaking journey more than a decade ago as a way to record my observations during fieldwork in remote areas (I have a professional background in archaeology, palaeo-ecology and science communication). My inspiration is drawn from years of travel and research across Australia’s diverse landscapes, as well as from local volunteering activities. My current focus on the Canberra region and surrounding high country, and on its threatened species in particular, invites you to stop, focus on, and appreciate elements easily overlooked within the landscape – a flowering bud, a blur of feathers, or a finely flaked stone tool hidden amongst the leaf litter.