Delvine is renowned for her
depictions of the topography of her ancestral country, Alhalkere, and the arid
terrain that defines the landscape of the Utopia homelands. These homelands are
abundant with the pencil yam, a beloved bush tucker that holds significant
spiritual meaning. It is a trailing herb or creeper plant, often found in the
sandy banks of dry creek beds, with heart-shaped leaves and long swollen
tubers. It is an important source of carbohydrate in the Utopia region, and
also holds significant spiritual meaning – a great deal of song and ceremony
are dedicated to the pencil yam, as it is both a prized food source and a
healing medicine. Delvine’s
painting style emulates the rivulets, creeks, sandhills, soakage sites and
other features of the terrain from a topographic point of view.