WA Christmas Tree with Spinebill

In my art practice I focus on the inextricable links between our flora and the creatures that support their existence. One can simple not thrive without the other.
This original linocut print is hand coloured with ink. It captures the beauty of the oldest mistletoe still surviving today – the hemiparasitic tree Nuytsia floribunda, found only in South West Western Australia. It is known as the Christmas Tree because its intensely bright orange flowers bloom in summer, coinciding with the Christmas season.
The species is known locally as moodjar tree and is particularly sacred to the Noongar people in Perth, known as a transit point for spirits and the afterlife.
Its rich, honey filled flowers attract bees and honeyeater birds. Paired with this image is a Western Spinebill ready to drink its fill.