Art & Bush Rub Irmangka Irmangka

Today after delivering my painting down to Gallery 7, the mailbox surprised me with these postcards 

I found out that there were over 100 entries, so I feel very honoured to have been selected as a finalist with my portrait of Nelly Patterson, the 'Face of Australia'.

After that I finally got to design the sticky labels for Nelly's Bush Rub, Irmangka Irmangka, (Eremophila alternifolia), or Emu Bush.

Picked by Nelly, sent to me to prepare, as I have the Beeswax.  These tubs of Bush Rub are now for sale 145ml, $25 + $8.55 postage within Australia.  It is wonderful for moisturising skin, pain relief for aching joints, inflammation, rheumatism, arthritis, bruises, minor skin issues, colds, rashes, bites. 

I am very lucky to be given the job of making it up for Nelly, as I found the black remains from the bottom of the pot, which I reckon is "really, really, really strong" ... I've been testing it out on my injured knee and it is the best !  

I'm experimenting with a second brewing with even less coconut oil, I've picked out all the twiglets and as I slow cooked it, I pulverised it with wooden spoon. 

It's still in the making and I've yet to test it on my knee.  

There is quite a story to my growing connection to Nelly's Bush Rub. Back in 2016 when we were out at Uluru with Nelly and her family, as malpas (helper/carers), I was in the back seat of the car when Nelly had a phone call, she spoke in language for some time, then handed the phone to me .... ? .... 

"Hello" I said,  wondering how I was to help. 

"I've got that Bush Rub ready" says a man.

"Aaaah" says me ??? with no previous knowledge about it at all.

 "Do you want someone to come and get it ?" 

"Yep"

"Whereabouts are you" says me.

"Warakurna"

Aah. Whereabouts is that ?"

"140kms south of Docker River"

"Aaaah!  ??? We can't get out there, I don't think. Can you bring it here ? Or get someone else to bring it?" 

"Hmmm? Can't be just anybody!"

"Hmmmm ? ? Well leave it with us .... ?  ? and maybe we'll work something out " ????? says me, as I hand the phone back to Nelly.

4 or 5 days later, after the women's law camp had finished, we were listening to Nelly's nephew Vincent Forrester, telling stories, prior to going out to the Sunset Viewing area for more stories, when Nelly's phone rings. 

Her great granddaughter Wanatjura and I are sent off to meet the people delivering the Bush Rub at the petrol station. They'd managed to find a car, with some plastic over the rear window to keep the dust out.  

A cute little 4 year old standing on the armrest with her head peering out the sun roof, watched the lidded bucket handed over to us, and we head back to the rest of the group.

The next morning we were due at the Tjungu Festival at Yulara, and I put two & two together, the bucket of Bush Rub and the box of empty tubs we'd brought with us.  

Somehow,  it came down to me, to fill these tubs with Bush Rub to sell at Tjungu.

This is when I began to learn about Bush Rub.

Out in remote communities, it can be difficult to acquire beeswax, as this bucket told me. It was extremely runny Bush Rub, with maybe no Beeswax in it at all. 

All I knew at that time, was that it was way too runny. It kept leaking out no matter how tight I did the lids. I began to learn about making Bush Rub.

Fast forward to 2017, when Nelly and family came to stay with us. One day in the second week Nelly asks me to get "that Bush Rub"   ... Turns out that in her car, buried behind the back seat, behind the door that wouldn't open, was that box of Bush Rub. 

Ziplock bags of still leaking Bush Rub.

So, I then had to find some beeswax. Thanks to my friend Shahnaz, I found some up the coast, in 15g blocks, which later helped me, as I worked out how much to add. 

Before that, I had to empty those 20 odd tubs into a large pot, and clean the containers and lids of all oil , inside and out.  I did about three melt downs, trying to get the right amount of beeswax. 

But I also knew that I'd only skimmed about 2 inches off that bucket back at Yulara. There was still virtually a whole bucketful left, that still needed Beeswax.  

So I ordered a big block when Michael next bought bulk honey for the Rainbow Chai Tent, and told Nelly to bring the bucket next time. But English isn't Nelly's first language, and very often she really has no idea what she is saying "Yes" to.  So the wax sat and sat, waiting.  

In January, when Nelly said she was coming over I said, bring that bucket of  Irmangka Irmangka, not knowing that the bucket had been forgotten when Nelly left Adelaide, probably still there, holding up the bed frame, which is where I last saw it. 

So instead, Nelly brought freshly picked Irmangka Irmangka, that she cooked up where she was staying. Some of which came over here one day and like the bucketful, didn't have any beeswax in it yet either.  It was leaking yet again, as was a second lot in her bags, just before she was due to return home to Uluru. 

I had not one but two sessions of adding in the right amount of beeswax.

This recent batch of Irmangka Irmangka, arrived as a very aromatic parcel in the post. Nelly knows how to select the best  Irmangka Irmangka. It was in a cloth bag that was saturated in Irmangka Irmangka oils and the crochet Dilly Bags also smelt delicious.

It has been wonderful to actually be a part of the whole process finally.  I have sent a batch of containers to Nelly along with some Zen Pain Relief tablets that we both find to be the best anti-inflammatories available.  I am trying to assist Nelly learn to purchase her own online, but they're currently out of stock. So your purchases of Bush Rub, Dilly Bags, or postcards of my portrait of Nelly, contribute to the ongoing assistance towards Nelly's health, as Zen tablets are not cheap. 

But they have helped Nelly get off Aspalgin a pharmaceutical pain relief she has been addicted to for years. Zen  Pain Relief are herbal.