Inspiration: It seems so mysterious what goes on in the river beds around Australia, a whole other world just below the surface. The Platypus has evolved to be perfectly suited to its environment and though they all have these iconic features, they are very much individual beings. Learning how they interact with each other, they are far more intelligent than simple and you can see their affection for each other but also respect. It takes two to Tango but I don’t think people could quite dance like this underwater!

The platypus is well adapted to its semi-aquatic lifestyle. It has a streamlined body, a broad flat tail, and short webbed limbs and partially webbed feet making it an efficient swimmer. Solitary and territorial, males will compete for territory and the females that reside there. Females will generally accept the male that is presented as being the biggest and the strongest. Pairs will engage in a courtship ritual that lasts several weeks. Described as a ‘dance’, they engage in aquatic play, such as diving, rolling together, and even swimming in circles before mating.

This piece forms part of a themed collection that is focused on protected, threatened, and endangered Australian species. Through the expansion of European settlement, many species have been displaced by human encroachment, changing fire patterns, victims of predation, or have been exposed to disease. Raising awareness remains as the most significant challenge in the effort to reduce these possible outcomes. These represent the absence of the existence of wildlife in their natural environments.

This series has specifically utilised heat, flame, and soot to achieve the varying golden browns and charcoal greys present in the finished artwork.