Mary and Joe

In 1931, my mum and her family were destitute. The WA Government placed Mum and her brother Joe in a Catholic orphanage where they lived for the next 3 years while their Mum having had a nervous breakdown, was placed in a neighbouring Good Shephard Convent. Meanwhile, my grandfather attempted to survive the Great Depression by rabbit shooting in the bush on the outskirts of Perth. The painting, based on a photo taken in early 1931 not long before they were institutionalised, attempts to capture the sadness and angst of the two little children.