Margaret Larkman
The Ladies who paint instead of lunch.
A group of very talented ladies who spend their Thursdays together at a local community hall sharing their passion for art and creating beautiful painting.
I approached this group of lovely ladies in the hope of maybe even getting one of the talented artist to consider donating a piece for the exhibition. I pulled out my computer and loaded the 1000 images of orangutans for them to look at. They all gathered around and with the ooh ahs and squeels of excitement over these gorgeous creatures I knew then I had them hooked.
The all agreed to do their best to produce a piece for the exhibition. Now it was just up to the fighting of who would get which orang-utan as their subject. Some were greedy and ended up with 3 of them much to my delight.
The Ladies from Goulburn come from many different backgrounds all retired now and many have sold painting for years but still don’t call themselves professionals though in my mind they should, so you wont see their websites or exhibition lists here.
If any one is interested in asking any of these talented ladies to do a commission piece for them please contact Jessica Warwick at jw-jb@hotmail.com who will be most happy to forward on your details.
MONTI
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From Lost Baby to Loving Surrogate – A Story of Second Chances
Monti arrived at the International Animal Rescue (IAR) Centre in Ketapang, West Borneo, at just six months old in November 2009. After her mother was likely killed, Monti was kept by a family in a remote village until she was rescued by IAR’s team. Initially fragile and completely dependent, Monti received round-the-clock care—drinking milk, sleeping lots, and slowly gaining strength and confidence.
As part of the very first cohort in Baby School, Monti blossomed. Her sweet, adventurous nature and thick, shiny coat made her a favorite among volunteers and fellow orangutans. She was quick to make friends and even quicker to climb the tallest trees.
Monti's biggest role came when she became a surrogate mother to little Anggun, a rescued orphan. The two were an instant match. Monti taught Anggun critical survival skills like foraging, nest building, and coconut cracking. Together they graduated to a rehabilitation island, where Anggun continued learning from her surrogate mum.
On 11 February 2020, Monti and Anggun—along with Merah, Ujang, and Utat—were released into Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park. Now, Monti lives wild and free, playing her part in rebuilding a future for Borneo’s orangutans.