Originally from Yuendumu in the Central Desert, Glenda Martin Napanangka evokes in her works the Dream (Jukurrpa) of Water (Ngapa) linked to the sacred site of Puyurru, located to the west of her community.

Legend has it that at the Dreamtime - the mythical time of creation for the Aborigines - two rainmaking ancestors from the Jangala family called for rain with their songs and thus triggered a huge storm. It moved along their clan territory with a thunderous noise produced by lightning. He got mixed up in another storm and was seized by a brown hawk ancestor (kirrkarlanji) who let him fall on Purlungyanu, another sacred place where a very large swamp was formed. Subsequently, arriving in Puyurru, the bird dug up Warnayarra - a giant Rainbow Serpent. The serpent carried with it water which gave birth to Lake Jillyiumpa.

Throughout the ceremonies, the initiate learns a little more about the dream bequeathed to him by his family group. This dream having a sacred value, artists like Glenda Martin Napanangka only give us the version instilled in children. The one given to us combines multiple dreams - or dream trails - which intersect during the journeys undertaken by different ancestors.

Traditional iconography is used to represent cumulus and stratocumulus clouds, and longer, flowing lines which represent flood waters. Small circles are used to represent runoff water and the river bed. The lines that spread across the canvas represent, seen from the sky, the rainwater that spreads across the artist's territory, sometimes digging furrows which in turn give birth to rivers.

Like most Central Desert artists, Glenda Martin Napanangka uses dot painting, or pointillism, which is inspired by ground paintings traditionally made during ritual ceremonies.