The night before her father, Paul White, died at home in northern New South Wales, artist Vicki White captured an image of his bare feet, tangled in the sheets of his bed.

It was April 2024, the 84-year-old was terminally ill with cancer and Ms White was by his bedside at her childhood home at Taree with her family.

Mr White had been sick for more than five years with cancer.

"Dad was peacefully asleep... and one sister whispered to me, 'Look at Dad's feet. It looks like one of your paintings' … and I leant over and took a photo," she said.

Ms White said another sister came up with the title for the image, which reflected that her dad was "Tethered to Earth" for one final night.

"It felt like Dad was just holding on,"

she said.

Ms White said her dad's final hours were challenging an

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