THE influence of family and culture powers every stroke of Kaliela Thornton's paint brush.
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Those influences drive all of her pieces and inspired her to create her own art business, called Maaya-li Dhawun Creations.
Now, for National Reconciliation Week, the mother of six is aiming to use her artistic vision to help bring the community together.
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"I draw a lot of my inspiration from my family and in particular my grandfather, who was an elder and a very well respected man in Queensland," Mrs Thornton told the Leader.
"He did so much for reconciliation through his community work with children in schools and his gentle character .
"Maaya-li Dhawun translated means 'whispers from the land', which also influences my art very heavily because I don't know everything about the land, but I do get whispers of knowledge.
"I am really inspired by grandfather, I'm always looking to help connect the community through different ways and close the gap just like he did."
Mrs Thornton said her artistic vision was not just limited to painting.
"The reason why I called the businesses Maaya-li Dhawun Creations when I opened it earlier this year, was because I'm involved in a variety of different things," she said.
"I hold dance sessions with different community groups and I do drawings as well as paintings and murals.
"I used the word creations in the business name because it's not limited to just one art form."
A founder and manager of the Gomeroi Maliyan-Go soccer club, Mrs Thornton said connecting with the community was a long-time goal of hers.
"It might sound a little bit strange, but my business and my artwork is just as much for the community as it is for me," she said.
"When someone commissions me to do a piece for a person, I like to really tap into that person's personality and make them something that's truly unique to them.
"It could be an animal, or a landscape or something like that. I just let the person, the land and my culture drive me to put something together."
The self-taught artist said she would be eager to hone her skills further.
"I've never really been trained. I basically started drawing when I was a nurse and I started painting when I was laid up with a knee injury," she said.
"I'd love to go and train and really take this business as far as I can."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
