Tangambalanga artist Milinda Hamilton is back in the public eye, this time with a series of artwork on display in the lightboxes at WAVES.
Earlier this year, visitors to The Cube Wodonga courtyard were treated to a series of her artworks featuring native birds that visit her garden.
Now, those who travel past or visit Wodonga’s outdoor pool this swim season can admire her latest works, titled A Few of the Locals.
“I have a deep love of the natural environment and our native birds and animals and my practice reflects this,” Milinda said.
“My home is the Kiewa Valley at Tangambalanga where I work from a studio overlooking some of the best country in the area.”
Native birds regularly visit Milinda’s garden.
“You will often find me snapping reference photos,” she said.
This time Milinda chose to feature sketches of a "few of the locals" including Murray cod, a platypus and an eastern long-necked turtle.
“We have both of these - the cod and the turtles - in our dam at home and they are beautiful," she said.
"These are digital works on my iPad Pro and done with a pencil, so it's like sketching but you can do it anywhere.
"With WAVES as a theme, people think of the ocean but I was trying to bring it back to something that was a bit more relevant to the local area."
Her sketch of a platypus is a fitting reminder of the Australian Conservation Foundation's citizen science project this September.
The foundation is calling on people living near or visiting a creek or river, to try to spot a platypus and record what they see.
By taking part in the "platy-project" month of action, you’ll help researchers understand more about this elusive animal, and how we can better protect this threatened species.
You can join the search here.
Milinda’s artworks are on display as part of the council’s ephemeral art program that gives local artists a chance to showcase their work to the public.
“It’s exciting to see my own work, especially on this large scale, on the side of a building,” she said.
Milinda has recently finished work on two wildlife artworks that she has entered into national competitions.
Her artworks at WAVES will be on display until the end of June 2023.
You can find more of Milinda’s artwork on Etsy.