Acrylic on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed certificate of authenticity.

The Dreaming site of Miinypa or Yanyilingi is Ngarlu, meaning "red rock", country east of Yuendumu. A Jungarrayi man called Lintipilinti who lived at Ngarlu fell in love with a Napangardi woman, a taboo relation as the women was his skin mother-in-law. This relation is forbidden to him under the Warlpiri skin system. Lintipilinti fell in love with the Napangardi woman when he saw her make a huge hole in the ground when she urinated. Lintipilinti was very impressed and aroused by this and began to wonder how he could win the Napangardi. He went to Ngarlu and made hair string for her, singing as he worked. Paddy has depicted the hair string spindel 'wirigy' by the 4 black shapes in the corners of this painting.


The Napangardi woman could not sleep and felt strange in her stomach, she felt sick. She realised someone was singing for her. A little bird visited her everyday taking Jungarrayi's songs to her. That bird can still be heard sometimes in the bush - it helps people find certain bush foods. It also talks to people when they are sad, lonely or in danger. Lines on the canvas represent the force of the song pulling the Napangardi woman to Lintipilinti. When the two lovers met again and made love they turned to stone, as their relationship was taboo in the Warlpiri skin system. The place where they turned to stone can still be seen at Ngarlu today.

This artwork is currently available at Bluethumb's Melbourne Gallery in Richmond.