Newstead Art have begun offering bark paintings by notable artists from the Northern Territory's Arnhem Land Region.

Adrian Newstead, founder of Newstead Art, recently released an Online Catalogue and essay in which he delves into bark painting.

Newstead gives a cultural exploration to readers as he expresses his knowledge and beliefs on the scared art and traditional use of natural resources.

"Totemic depictions and clan designs associated with moiety, clan and tribal affiliations, are vital elements of the imagery portrayed in bark paintings," he said.

"Early Arnhem Land barks could be divided in to those principally produced in Western and Central Arnhem Land that depicted simple figurative images of totemic creatures; and those from Northern Islands and the North East of Arnhem Land that featured clan designs in which few, if any, figurative elements appeared at all. These were considered unnecessary to the artists of the North East, who understood intimately the inter-connectedness of the specific clan designs relating to totem and place, and the stories, songs and dances associated with them.

"To the untrained eye these designs appear to be simple abstracted decorative cross-hatching. Yet they are absolutely specific to each totemic group, and relate directly to the stories and places that inform the artist's life and place in the world. They are designs that have been given at every important stage in the artist's development as a 'living being' and they carry with them deep custodial responsibilities."

Newstead said that in Arnhem Land these designs are called 'rarrk'.

"When used to infill the bodies of animals and humans these patterns represent the subtle energy fields that emanate from, and interconnect, all living things. When used to interconnect living creatures it evokes the numinous country in which they live. Though clearly impossible, if you held in your hand 'The Book of Rarrk' and were given the right to use each clan pattern within it by the appropriate Elders from each tribal group, you would have a passport in to every ' country' in Arnhem Land," he said.

The collected bark paintings are a holistic expression of timeless symbols and stories that are at one with the ecology of the makers' specific clan Country, and their ancient culture.

They and others in Newstead's personal collection are available for sale to collectors.

Profiles of the artists and information on their finest paintings can be found on the Newstead Art web site.