Clifford Possum was employed at the Papunya School in the early 1970’s when Geoffrey Bardon (the catalyst of the painting movement) first arrived. With encouragement from Clifford’s brother, Tim Leura, Clifford joined Bardons group of painters.

Speaking of his first impression of Clifford, Bardon recounts:

“........I came into the painting room and saw a dusty, wild haired man whom I had not seen before. His name was Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri. He had already found a board and was at work. Tim Leura spoke for him, “This is my brother, Clifford. I cant beat him”.

To travel with Clifford through his country is an unforgettable experience. In given areas where he is custodian or traditional owner he seems to know the name and dreaming characteristics of the most minute features in the landscape. What appears irrelevant to western eyes comes alive and develops its own significance as Clifford ‘talks’ it into life.

The Aboriginal people have a wonderful saying which is indeed an encapsulated philosophy: ‘nothing is nothing’. He also has an intimate knowledge of those groups and individuals who carry on the dreaming after his own responsibility within an area expires.

When asked why he became an artist, he answered:

"That Dreaming been all the time. From our early days, before European people came up. That Dreaming carry on. Old people carry on this law, business, schooling for the young people. Kids, I see them all the time, painted. All the young fellas they go hunting and the old people there, they do sand painting. They put down all the story, same like I do on canvas. They been using ochres all the colours from the rock. People use them to paint up. I use paint and canvas that's not from us, from European people. Business time we don't use paints the way I use them, no we use them from rock, teach 'em all the young fellas."