Koala portraits, painted with eucalyptus ink by a wildlife rescue volunteer

 My work begins with the stories of wild koalas who have come into care and the eucalyptus leaves that are essential to their survival. I turn those leaves into ink, creating artworks that hold their stories of rescue, connection, and the shared responsibility we have in protecting the wild lives around us.

Koalas can only safely eat eucalyptus leaves from trees within their own home range, and only when those trees are mature enough, the right species, and in the right season for the nutrients to be usable.

I use inks made from leftover koala food leaf — never fresh leaf that might be needed for an animal. Each portrait is matched to the eucalyptus species that koala prefers and, wherever possible, to their own home range. These leaves create inks in warm golds, deep browns, reddish tones and blue‑black, forming the base of every painting.

Each portrait honours an individual koala and their story — a reminder of how deeply their lives are connected to the places they come from. A portion of proceeds from all koala artworks is donated to Port Stephens Koala Hospital to support ongoing rescue and rehabilitation.