June Peters / Winibus Springs (19562)

June was born on Texas Downs Station in 1962. She lost both her mother and father at a very young age however the late Madigan Thomas (Senior ochre artist and Law Woman) and her husband Sandy Thomas, a Traditional Elder, brought her up and treated her like a daughter.

June currently lives at Mandangala Community (Glen Hill Station), has eight children and 11 grandchildren and visits her relatives at Warmun frequently.

She was taught painting from an early age by the best of our famous first generation ochre artists, including Jack Britten, Madigan Thomas and Lena Nyadbi. These Elders devoted their lives to teaching youngsters culture, Traditional Dreamtime stories and ochre painting technique.

June is the niece of our most famous ochre artist, Rover Thomas. June’s mother was one of five sisters (Rita being Rover’s wife) and every one of these women, all from Texas Downs Station, have produced highly talented artists. June’s eldest daughter Deanne is following in her mother’s footsteps and is an accomplished artist.

June has an extended family, and through her mother, father, aunties and uncles, is able to paint the huge expanse of Gija land, including Texas Downs, Purnululu and Doon Doon. This gives the artist a wonderful content for her works, and June is fastidious about the Gija Dreaming Stories represented in her paintings. She travels extensively in her country, and paints with precision and authenticity.

June paints both in the typical Warmun style (thick bulked ochre), as well as fine, detailed works in minimal palette and on occasion, wonderful works using the acrylic medium. June’s work has been quickly noticed and purchased by astute collectors and included in exhibitions at Australian galleries such as Japingka Gallery in Perth and Harrison Galleries and Gallery Tjukurrpa in Sydney plus international galleries in France, The Netherlands and USA.

June has a promising future and her paintings now hang with the best of her famous relatives.

This is one of my favourite places. It’s on the way from Warmun (Turkey Creek) where some of my family lives, to Ngarrgarroon (Texas Downs) where we all come from and before you go as far as Purnululu (Bungle Bungles) to the east. You follow the road around past the big hill country that goes down to Osmond Valley Way. The springs at Winibus are living waters (permanent underground water). It’s so safe for the children to swim and so cool. Our family goes there often because it’s not a long drive. The children throw bread into the water and hundreds of little tiny fish come from nowhere and that keeps the kids busy for hours. I have painted the springs and the country all around this place, it’s a beautiful part of the Kimberley.

This painting by East Kimberley artist June Peters depicts Winibus Springs, an important place in her Country. The composition shows the surrounding landscape, with hills, waterholes and a winding track moving across the canvas. Using the rich natural tones characteristic of East Kimberley ochre painting, June outlines the forms of the land with fine dotting, creating a strong sense of rhythm and movement through the landscape. As one of the larger works typically produced in this distinctive style, the painting has a strong presence and beautifully reflects the character of this Kimberley Country.