Once upon a time past, Peter the Pterosaur (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781495490804)

I was born in 1943 at Lithgow NSW and I am a part of the stolen generation. I survived only because my Grandmother who was white took me into the bush and reared me there till I was 9. I did not know I was Koorie till I was 49. My people are the WIRADJURI from around the Blue Mountains in NSW. I started drawing with charcoal from the fire at an early age. I knew I was different from the other children as my heart was in the bush, the land and animals. I was married at the age of 16 and had 6 children between the ages of 1-9 when I was deserted by my husband at the age of 27. There were lots of times we starved and had no food for there were no pensions for 16 months. We lived in small caravans and an old condemned building. I painted pictures to get money for food and eventually started my own Folk Art business. I called it BLACK WARE Folk Art as I liked to paint on a black background because it bought out the colors of the Australian pictures I painted. I loved children and also taught them craft as well as art. Because of what I went through with my own children I became a foster parent for about 30 years. I used art and drawing to help them relax and build a friendship between us. It also gave them confidence in themselves and showed them they could try things without being afraid of failure. My great love is my art and I love doing anything connected to my people. My work comes from my dreaming and the spirits that flow when I start an art work. I never went to high school and the older I have become my thirst for knowledge has grown greater. I have exhibited paintings at many galleries and won a few competitions. I am currently writing books for children and putting Aboriginal language in them. I believe our children should be learning the language of their own people.