Bruce looks like a big, soft ball of fur. But he's not. He's a solid ball of resilience and power. There's so much more to wombats beyond the things that make them wonderfully weird: backwards-facing pouches, armour-like backsides and, of course, square poo.

I've developed a whole new respect for them through following a wombat wildlife carer. As babies they're completely dependent on their carers, then come the zoomies, the moods, and the wombat teenage years. Eventually they pull away, becoming less social and more independent. After years of care, that's the goal. They're ready to be wild.

When I painted Bruce, I wanted that resilience behind the beautiful nose, little ears and stubbornly determined face.

He looks like he doesn't need anyone. And that's exactly the point.

Acrylic and oil on canvas · 20 × 20cm (8 × 8") · Original

Painted from a reference photograph by Shutterstock.