Richard Moketarinja, whose name means ‘snake curled up in a circle’, was invited by Rex Battarbee to join a one-month painting trip in 1940. Battarbee was impressed by his drawing ability and strong idiosyncratic style and decided to encourage him rather than interfere. The next year he gave painting away, but by 1948 had again become devoted to his art, painting more pictures than any other artist in the group in that year. His style was often considered to be too ‘primitive’ and as such his works were largely overlooked, but his paintings often made direct reference to the Dreamings embedded within the landscape.