Central Australian artists frequently paint particular " dreamings " , or stories , for which they have responsibility or rights . These stories are used to pass " important knowledge , cultural values and belief systems " from generation to generation . Paintings by Petrick portray two different groups of dreamings , rendered in two distinct styles . Bush plum dreaming represents a plant of the central Australian desert which is " a source of physical and spiritual sustenance , reminding [ the local Indigenous people ] of the sacredness of [ their ] country " . These paintings are undertaken with red , blue and orange dots that represent the fruit at different stages in its development . She also paints women ’ s ceremonies ( Awelye ) and dreamings , and these are created using rows of coloured dots and include representations of women 's ceremonial iconography .