Over the previous 12 months, designer Emily Wright from Australian clothing company Nancybird, has been working on a second collection featuring my designs. This collection, named Sky Water, is of special significance to me as it features 2 of my 2024 works - the diptych 'Stars, Night Herons and the Politics of Envy' and 'Spring full of Hope' . Both works carry messages of caring for landscape.

Emily writes, Our latest collaboration with Wendy McDonald highlights the journey of our long-term partnerships with Sky Water, marking our second project together. Earlier this year, our founder Emily was invited to spend a weekend with Wendy at Thule Lagoon, on Barapa Barapa Country in South West NSW. Walking the land together, along waterlines, watching for night herons, and speaking about flood cycles and dry spells brought a deeper understanding of the place that underpins Wendy’s work.

Living and working on the floodplains, Wendy's practice is deeply shaped by the ecology of this significant inland delta — its cycles of flood and drought, its fragile balance of water and absence.

Since our first collaboration in 2020, Wendy has continued her deep exploration of landscape — considering ecosystems, stories of place, and the politics that shape how land is cared for. After the 2022 floods, her work reflects both hope and grief — a reminder that what happens to the landscape happens to us.

For this collaboration, we have featured two works from Wendy’s 2024 exhibition Stars, Night Herons and the Politics of Envy. Translated into clothing and accessories, these pieces allow the story of the lagoon to travel beyond its shores.

Her paintings hold joy, fragility and resilience. Translating them into wearable pieces allows these stories to travel beyond the studio and gallery walls.