Terri Maddock
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
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In Dec 2013, I moved to 2.5 acres at Bonny Hills on the NSW mid north coast after 51 years living in Sydney's northern beaches area. My favourite medium is pastel, although I enjoy using watercolour as an underpainting for pastel, and have started using oils again with odourless solvent.
My style of painting could be described as realist impressionist, with a variety of subjects as inspiration. I just love to paint! After a very long break then taking up art again during the last 7 years, my paintings have been in joint and solo exhibitions in Sydney and regional areas, winning several awards and sales to local, interstate and international buyers.
ARTIST'S REASON FOR PARTICIPATING
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I am thrilled to be able to support the International Animal Rescue organisation through the Project Orangutan Exhibition. Conservation of both our wildlife and land is very important to me, although I can empathise with communities in poorer countries where providing for one's family comes before protecting the environment. This is where efforts from the wonderful dedicated volunteers and organisations can make a difference to protect our wildlife for future generations. We have an opportunity to learn so much from native animal populations about habitat management, sources of food, and even medicinal plants, hopefully before their ecosystems are destroyed. The illegal "pet" trade of exotic animals, birds and reptiles is another threat to wildlife around the world, including Australia.
My work can be viewed on Facebook and Redbubble via the links below or contact me by email.
Facebook page – Pastel Painting by Terri
AMIN
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🔗 From Chains to Canopy: Amin’s Long Journey Back to the Wild
Amin was rescued by International Animal Rescue (IAR) in March 2013 from horrific conditions in a remote mining compound. Just two years old at the time, Amin had spent most of his life in captivity—first chained around the hips, and later—when he grew too strong—by the neck. He was being kept on a platform in a tree, exposed to the elements, and surviving on scraps like rice and fried chicken. The scars on his body were a stark reminder of the cruelty he had endured.
Despite the trauma, Amin showed remarkable resilience. He gratefully devoured the fruit offered by the rescue team and calmly endured the 24-hour journey to IAR’s rescue centre in Ketapang. After intensive veterinary care and psychological support, he was enrolled in forest school where he learned essential survival skills such as climbing, nest-building, and foraging.
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In June 2023, a decade after his rescue, Amin’s transformation was complete. Alongside female orangutan Shila, he was released into the Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park (BBBR NP), one of Indonesia’s protected rainforest sanctuaries. The pair had passed all medical and behavioural evaluations, including a final stage of rehabilitation on a pre-release island.
Now free in the forest, Amin is monitored daily by a team trained by IAR and local community members. He is thriving in the wild exploring, nesting, and foraging just as a wild orangutan should. Amin’s journey stands as a testament to the power of compassion, perseverance, and second chances.
