2023 CHRC Annual Art Awards – Springsure Digital Exhibition

Welcome to the CHRC Annual Art Awards – Springsure for 2023 online exhibition.

There are seven categories judged in the art awards: Easel Based Artworks, Works on Paper, Three-dimensional, Photography, Black & White, Juvenile 13-18 years, Junior 12years and under. Prizes include first and second for each category and the prestigious CHRC Acquisitive Prize from the open categories, with a prize pool of over $6000 on offer. People’s Choice Award is this year being voted for online CHRC Annual Art Awards – Springsure 2023 | Have Your Say, Central Highlands. Voting for the people’s choice closes Sunday 19 March 2023 with the winner being announced on 21 March.

The awards were judged by Michael Brennan. Michael is the Gallery Director at Noosa Regional Gallery, the leading public gallery on the Sunshine Coast. Noosa Regional Gallery presents a diverse program of contemporary exhibitions featuring local, national and international artists, as well as being responsible for the delivery of Floating Land, Australia’s premiere art in the environment event, taking in sites across Noosa. 

Prior to his role at Noosa Regional gallery, Michael held roles as Artistic Director at La Trobe University Museum of Art and Programming Manager at Footscray Community Arts Centre, as well as a co-founding Director of two artist-run initiatives in Melbourne.

Michael holds a Master of Art Curatorship from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Fine Art from Monash University.

CHRC would like to congratulate the winners for 2022 and the exhibiting artists, both local and from afar, who have entered the competition creating a wonderful display of artworks. View the full list of winners here.

The exhibition can also be seen in person at the Bauhinia Bicentennial Art Gallery, Springsure until 13 April, 2023.

Tara Lewis "Minerva Hills" Acrylic on wood panel $570 Minerva Hills ridgeline is full of interesting marks, shapes, and hidden colours. Using collage and mixed media the focus is on the ridge of the hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. I enjoy mixing my own colours to provide a variety of unique hues and applied with as many tools I can find to create interesting marks on each application of paint.	Tricia Reust "Evening Lilly" Mixed Media $800 Collaging drawings from my visual diaries onto my canvas works adds to the story. Waterlilies evoke a peaceful cycle of growth and beauty amidst a hectic routine attending to daily duties; a reminder to pause and appreciate.	Jacqueline Vanderpool "It do be a Jellyfish" Acrylic on canvas $275 This artwork is as it appears, a colourful Jellyfish. There is something quite calming about watching jellyfish glide through the water, and I wanted to reflect on that with this piece.
Jacqueline Vanderpool "Warmth in a dark place" Actylic on canvas $800 This idea behind this piece was to turn a dark and dreary painting into something with a hidden meaning of good. Time eventually runs out but no matter what, there is always time for those you care for. Always time to enjoy what the world offers you.	Catherine Boreham "Pied Oyster Catcher" Acrylic on canvas $2,000 I couldn’t imagine living life without seeing birds and bird calls. If you visit Farnborough Beach in Yeppoon where I live you are pretty much guaranteed to spot the Australian Pied Oyster catchers going about their day. They are easily identified by their black and white body and the intense colours of their bright orange-red bill and red eye. They search the shoreline for sandworms and crabs. The focus of my painting is the Pied oystercatcher in the foreground with the reflection on the shoreline and I have put less emphasis on the ocean with subtle airbrushed waves in the background.	Hanbing Lu "The Handsome Family" Acrylic on canvas $500 The Handsome Family depicts a fictional family residing in Queensland. I employed high contrast colours and bold brushstrokes to reflect the hot and arid appearance of the Sunshine State. My goal is to honour the hardworking and tenacious individuals who call this region home and depict their strength and determination of spirit.
Therese Foley "Abandoned Beauty" Acrylic on canvas $180 When I see what appears to be an abandoned building when I am on the highway, I am intrigued to know why it’s been neglected. I love how the afternoon sun can change something which could be considered an eyesore into something of beauty.	Carmen Beezley-Drake "Fragmented Lotus Lilies" Collage $1,500 Colourful lotus lilies jostle for space amid reeds and pods. Collage, crayons, acrylic are used to add a sense of activity and cohesion.	Floris Hop Yek "Lorikeets Feeding on Grasstrees" Mixed media $250
Leonie Hopgood "Camping Holiday" Acrylic on canvas $400 Creating and working on these paintings are the best fun. Remembering when camping was the best holiday, making friends and cooking up a barbie, out by the creek, river or beach.	Bloss Hickson "Parker's Patch" Acrylic on canvas NFS The Parkers moved to Mt Ogg in the mid 1980s and melted into our community with plenty of fun and flavour. Les & Russell cultivated the creek flats of My Ogg and bred beautiful red brahmans. Celie grew commercial native flowers ‘Downunder’, of Kangaroo Paw and Riceflower.	Nathalie Ribiera-Sequeira "Pink Girl" Acrylic on canvas $450 I love painting portraits. I started to do portraits years ago with pastels. It was so much fun to imagine this lady and to try to capture her soul. The purple and pink brings some light to the artwork.
Sharon Kirk "Fred's Gorge" Oil & cold wax on canvas SOLD This iconic and much-loved landmark sits above Springsure in the Minerva Hills National Park and is the location of many pleasant afternoon visits by the locals.	Sharon Kirk "Colours of Country" Oil & cold wax on board $400 A fun piece where I allowed my imagination to roam free.	Kiara Follent "Monarch" Acrylic & pastel on canvas $450 Multiple wings flapping to create an illusion or dream like scene. Like a flurry reviling a scene of transformation.
Kiara Follent "Iris" Acrylic on canvas $300 Purple and yellow are complimentary of each other however, within Iris they contrast pushing the yellow further forward whereas the purple is pushed back in terms of saturation.	Raelene Bock "Not Barren.... Beautiful" Acrylic & ink on board $350 How lovely is the tree, especially after it’s let everything go. "If you feel that you have lost everything, remember that some trees lose their leaves every year and they still stand tall and wait for better things to come". TIMIRI	Raelene Bock "Growing Wild" Acrylic on canvas $440 Strong rugged bark, serrated foliage with the most distinctive flowers, the Banksia is one of Australia’s most unique wildflowers.
Nyleve Semken "Star Ring the cosmic gumnut princess" Acrylic & watercolour on canvas $40 From the Cosmos, she watches delighted by the Green Gathering. Together they danced and played, making the most fun of the Night, and leaving nothing but joy in the Day. A wink to the princes and princesses gracing the Sky who come and place kisses on the cheeks of their mothers. Followed by a pouring of Golden Morning Loving Sun into their Hearts leaving them polished and glowing reading for them to discover.	Jessica Samuels "Lose yourself in the detail" Acrylic on canvas SOLD Various tools, colours, patterns and styles were used in this piece to create an artwork that looks different each time you view it. A new detail will jump out at you in different light, creating a piece that changes throughout the day & at night under an artificial light. This piece is designed to be hung by any of the 4 sides so that you aren’t limited by its size and shape; however, hung this way, there are three dot shapes of Australia hidden - can you find them?	Jessica Samuels "Stripped" Mixed media on canvas $245 To be seen without any boundaries, barriers or constrictions, is to be Stripped. The artist challenged herself to create a female form that celebrates all that is to be a woman, to capture sensuality and femininity in a tasteful manner, with her own brand of extravagance. The background layers include embossing, printing, foil and patterns to provide an experience beyond what captures your attention initially. The female form was painted in gold, a precious metal & commodity, as a form of symbolism.
Loretta Horn "The definition of Beauty" Acrylic on canvas $300 Beauty defies definition. ‘Beautiful’ is seen differently by each individual. Is this painting beautiful? Is it just dabs of paint on a canvas or roses being swept away in the wind? or water? Or something else entirely. Are the colours beautiful? Beauty should never be defined because the definition of beauty also defines ugliness.	Loretta Horn "A Gentle Time" Acrylic on canvas $250 A reflection on the small daily moments that can so easily be overlooked, but that can be so important to observe. A cup of tea, hand sewing, a chat with a friend, small impactful actions that can soothe a stressful day and that I personally need to include more in my days.	Natasha Stanton "Beauty in decay" Acrylic on canvas $600 There is an element of Beauty in Decay. New life Springs forth from the Breaking down of old forms.
Natasha Stanton "Kookaburra" Acrylic on canvas $250 The Kookaburra arises early in the morning to greet each sunrise. His Laughter is a reminder to approach life with a little light-heartedness and humour.	Leena Westerberg "Virgin Rock" Oil on canvas $500 This wonderful rock formation stands out in the morning light.	Leena Westerberg "Reflection in water" Oil on canvas $450 Trees reflected in the pond at the Botanical Gardens in Emerald.
Helen Chivers "Black Cockatoo" Acrylic on canvas $750 I love Australian parrots and especially the Cockatoo family. This particular Black Cockatoo is a new subspecies of red-tailed cockatoo, previously thought to be a part of the inland subspecies, was discovered by scientists after a decade-long search. The background is of a night sky – one of the things that I love about living in the outback, the stars.	Helen Chivers "Coral Dreaming" Mixed media on canvas $250 This abstract artwork is inspired by the Australian Great Barrier Reef. Full of life and movement but climate change is impacting how the coral looks in the reef. Rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change is the primary cause of coral bleaching. During bleaching, corals become transparent, revealing their white skeletons. We need to act so we don’t have a ghost reef in our future.	Nyleve Semken "Lost in Love's fire (in the water)" Acrylic on canvas $200 To my dear Near Miss. Your Angel voice has Divine Timing. Calling you to see the beauty well beyond the mind’s eye. Recognising that the gift of friendship, wisdom and love can come from places not yet known to us. But know they are there and coming.
Nifty Davis "Untitled" Mixed media on canvas $200	Nifty Davis "Untitled Double" Mixed media on canvas $250	Tara Lewis "Bridge over Nogoa River" Mixed media on paper $370 Emerald Botanical Gardens and where the train bridge extends over the Nogoa River is always busy with activity with birds and grey nomads living under the bridge. This works earthy tones reflect the lack of rain at that time, with collage introduced to create texture and depth of the riverbank layers and rock formations.
Tara Lewis "Ms Cutie Pie" Mixed media on paper $310 Lovely Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are daily visitors to my garden and bird bath. Always patiently waiting for me to walk out with a fresh pot of sunflower seeds. I limited this mixed media painting to a grayscale to showcase the cockatoo’s many white hues.	Kaye Dahlenburg "Peace Lilies" Watercolour on paper $390 This simple study of “Peace” lilies is my reflection of peace and harmony in a chaotic world.	Kaye Dahlenburg "Walking to Grandma's" Watercolour on paper $460 This is my depiction of the simple pleasure and anticipation of visiting Grandma. A childhood memory in an old-fashioned era.
Therese Foley "Frog Haven" Acrylic on paper $450 Who doesn’t love a green frog? Since I have been living near a watercourse, I love to listen to different sounds (what seems like 1000) frogs make after the rain. I imagine this happy little fellow hiding away amongst the reeds.	Carmen Beezley-Drake "Transportation of People, Grain & Coal" Linocut Print $900 Depicting the busy transport industry of Gladstone Port over the years.	Joanne Kerr "Spinifex Hill" Collage, aquarelle crayon & pencil on paper $1,200 The red of the soil contrasting with the green of the spinifex was captivating to see. This part of western Queensland shows its strength, but where details are delicate, reflecting the flora and fauna that it sustains. The materials used reflect softness of the soil, overlayed by the dobs of spinifex.
Floris Hop Yek "Brahman Cow & Calf" Pastel on paper NFS	Floris Hop Yek "Brahman Cattle" Pastel on paper $200	Leonie Hopgood "The Lighthouse" Watercolour on paper $350 A lighthouse is there to guide you in safely. How handsome and proud they stand right beside the sea. A miniature watercolour of a very important structure out in the distance.
Nathalie Ribiere-Sequeira "Pegase" Acrylic on paper $500 I love horses, so I did this artwork of a wild horse, adding some romantic spirit on it and some kind of magic! It is in this dreamlike spirit that I wanted to create, somewhere in between dream and reality, keeping a certain softness, despite the fierce energy of the horse.	Janice Labbett "So, Life Begins" Graphite on paper $500 The heart and the water pump are representative of life beginnings, as they both have to pump for us to survive. Then the vine growing around both, is indicative our dependence on each other for growth and nurturing.	Michelle Bradshaw "Her gaze was pensive & alive" Linocut print on paper $120 Responding to the Blackwater Art Society’s challenge to create a portrait, I completed a 2-part lino print. I love the tilt of her head and the angles created by her hand, back and shoulder, creating a sense of thoughtfulness, which contrasts with the movement in her hair and the background.
Sue Denham "Mangrove honeyeater" Watercolour on paper $180 Since moving to Rockhampton 12 months ago I’ve been immersing myself in my new environment. The Fitzroy River and the plants and animals that live there plays a dominant role in the life of the city, including the lovely Mangrove honeyeater, perfectly camouflaged for life in the mangroves.	Sue Denham "Magpies" Monoprint on tissue paper $150 On a recent camping trip, I delighted in watching the magpies around our camp as they foraged for food and the way they related to each other. They have inspired this print.	Sharon Kirk "Dawn & Dusk" Print, oil & wax on paper, diptych $350 Printmaking is an exciting process where I have combined my love of the natural landscape and other forms of mark making.
Sharon Kirk "Rocky Landscape" Mixed media & collage on paper $300 I have used the landscape to guide my mark-making then used my imagination in the studio to create this imagined landscape.	Kiara Follent "Palm" Watercolour & ink on paper $160 Palms are plentiful from any view through the window in the house, the leaves are simplistic to draw however, they can change considerably from angle of viewing or even a slight breeze flow through them.	Kiara Follent "Understanding" Watercolour & ink on paper $120 The piece is a reflects an understanding of how chaotic my thought process can get at any point in time, whether it be late at night or during the day, when creating.
Nyleve Semken "Doing a Daedalus - Coming back down" Watercolour on paper $50 Daedalus Greek God warned Icarus first of complacency and then of extreme or excessive pride instructing him to fly neither too low nor too high, lest the sea’s dampness clog his wings or the sun’s heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father, Daedalus’ instructions not to fly too close to the sun, causing the beeswax in his wings to melt. Icarus fell from the sky, plunged into the sea, and drowned. The myth gave rise to the idiom, “flying too close to the Sun”. Never let excessive pride take away what you need to survive and thrive.	Jessica Samuels "Prickly" Watercolour on paper $65 When I think of cacti, I think of their thorns, or prickles. This piece celebrates their prickles, but also the bold colours and unusual flowers the cactus can produce.	Loretta Horn "Knitted" Pencil, pastel on paper $150 This drawing was taken on purely as a personal challenge to myself. To see if I could represent the intricate stitches of a knitted blanket. I am not very successful at replicating small accurate details, but I am hoping practice makes perfect, or at least better!
Loretta Horn "The glory of womanhood" Watercolour & ink on paper $100 A small personal rebellion against the ‘plasticisation’ of women and the unreasonable expectations place upon women by society. So often the innate gentle qualities of women are completely ignored, and instead plastic faces, breasts, butts, hair, nails, and personalities are celebrated.	Natasha Stanton "Year of the Rabbit" Graphite on paper $250 The Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, creativity and prosperity. Although Rabbits are viewed as soft and timid little creatures, their agile nature allows them to detect and avoid otherwise perilous situations. The “Year of The Rabbit” 2023 is predicted to be one of fortune, hope and happiness.	Helen Chivers "Cockatoo" Mixed media on paper $250 The Cockatoo is such a beautiful bird and when they appear in your dreams, they represent spiritual peace or rebirth. I used this an old etching experiment and painted over it with a cockatoo to continue with the surreal dream quality to this artwork.
Helen Chivers "Rains are coming" Mixed media on paper $180 I love it when it rains - the smell of rain and the sound on the roof. I love it when the clouds build and the sky changes into deep blues and grey. I love the thick, thin, fat and hard rain – I just love it when the rains come!	Nifty Davis "Predator" Pencil on paper NFS	Gai Sypher "The red rose, the symbol of love" Metal & papier mâché SOLD The red rose was my fathers’ favourite flower. This precious memory inspired me to create this everlasting arrangement. The flowers are molded from metal and wire and the vase is constructed from papier mâché and plaster.
Carol Forster "Garden Sketch" Black clay & underglaze $220 During the last few years of covid related restrictions, I have spent many hours in my home garden. This quiet time has encouraged a closer connection with the natural world. “Garden Sketch” reflects this connection and draws inspiration from my natural surroundings, and the joys of nature at my doorstep.	Leonie Hopgood "Mosaic Mirror" Mosaic tiles & mirror $200 This mosaic artwork will stand proud in any bathroom or hallway. Working on mirror pieces to make up a colourful pattern that is useful.	Ainslie McMahon "Life in the Mangroves" Batik & hand stitching SOLD Mangrove forests are incredibly important habitats for a range of birdlife and crustaceans, who in turn play a key part in maintaining balanced ecosystems. The layers of stitching embellishing this artwork reflects a dynamic, natural environment that is connected and multi-layered.
Sharon Kirk "My house has many rooms" Cardboard, collage on board $500 As an artist I continually experiment with various materials and processes that leave me with work that never sees the light of day outside my studio. The concept of My House Has Many Rooms is about high lighting some of these experiments and to give them a ‘life’. Like a room, these experiments can be revisited whenever needed.	Raelene Bock "Mottlecah" Wire & metal $250 Eucalyptus macrocarpa, a unique native tree with the most striking grey foliage and during spring an abundance of the most breathtaking gum blossom. Australia really does put on a show when it comes to our native flora.	Raelene Bock & Michelle Gray "Wildfire" Handblown glass, metal & wire $330 Corymbia ficifolia- otherwise known as Wildfire flowering gum, sprouts stunning flowers on red stems contrasting brilliantly against the green leaves, attracting nectar hungry birds. People have used the red flowering gum for many years in the treatment of numerous ailments, including diseases of the eyes. We hope this simple branch of glass and metal specimen is a treat for your eyes.
Stacey Parsons "Sky above, sand below, peace within" Colour photograph on canvas $250 This image was taken to represent First Nation women. The beautiful Miss Kiamha Saunders, a proud Bidjara, Gangalidda, Waanyi & Wakka Wakka woman. Image taken on Barada Barna Country.	Karen Galea "Looking up" Colour photograph on canvas NFS The pure joy that a child shows when playing and seeing those they love is to be enjoyed.	Lou Petho "Moonrise over dunny" Panoramic on colour film $950 An outside toilet, part of ruins from the late 19th Century in South Australia. This 4-minute exposure uses moon and the dusk light to add to a sense of a distant past. Camera: Tomiyama Art Panorama 170 Film: Kodak Portra160
Lou Petho "Good Tucker Mate" Panoramic on colour film $950 A kangaroo sign on the Barkly Hwy in the Northern Territory. What to some is vandalism, I saw humour in a very Australian, outback kind of way. Camera: Tomiyama Art Panorama 170 Film: Kodak Portra160	James Laws "On the move" Colour photograph $500 A fast-moving chatter of Budgies taking off from grasslands in Western Australia.	Karen Leibinger "Silence of a stare" Photograph $500 Have you ever stared into the eyes of an owl? They blink slow and then stare at you with those burning gold eyes with that dark inner core and in that moment of time there is not a word spoken just silence.
Nifty Davis "All we have is now" Digital Art $50 (print)	Nifty Davis "Here in the Forest" Digital Art $50 (print)	Stacey Parson "She is her" Black & white photograph on canvas $250 She is Her, her face is her frame to the world. All she has to do is look at the reflection in the mirror to see her true self. Beautiful Miss Harpah Parsons, from the Wakka Wakka, Wiri & Tjungundji tribes. Image taken on Gayiri Country
Stacey Parsons "Women's meeting place" Black & white photograph on canvas $250 The meeting place is culturally significant site to aboriginal men & women. It is a place where aboriginal people meet, gather around sitting in circles. Beautiful Ms Suzan Chapman, proud Wakka Wakka & Wiri woman. Image taken on Gayiri Country.	Camille Swallow "Hidden Figures" Acrylic on canvas $350 Hidden figures portrays the character of oneself, not as they are in the real world but, the hidden shadow that hides behind themselves.	Heidi Chivers "Following the line" Black & white photograph $200 Swimmers often call doing laps in the pool as “following the black line”. At the time I took this photo I was part of a swim squad and I wanted to capture the angles and shapes of the pool.
Karen Galea "In the Shed" Photo on canvas $300 My weekly photo challenge was ‘unexplored’. My husband commented that I never go in the shed and after protesting but not having an alternative location, to the shed I went. This section of the wall caught my eye with the various textures of the tools and the wall.	Erin Godfrey "Precious" Graphite on paper $200 This artwork is named Precious as the jewellery stands for the things that people love the most, or things that are ‘precious’ to them. It could be a hobby, an item, or even a person you adore and enjoy, to spend your time with.	Nathalie Ribiere-Sequeira "Springsure" Black ink on paper $600 I took a photo in Springsure few weeks ago, and I thought it will be great to do an artwork with it. So, I decided to draw it on paper, using black ink. I love details and I must admit it was quite challenging. But I think it is quite representative of the area and it serves to keep in mind, the past of our lovely country.
Lou Petho "Tree at world's edge" Panoramic on B&W film $950 A tree neatly trimmed by grazing sheep in the Claire Valley region of South Australia. The tree is on the frame’s edge suspended in empty space, giving it a sense of vulnerability, tittering at the world’s edge. Camera: Tomiyama Art Panorama 170 Film: Formapan 100	Lou Petho "Freedom" Black & white film $650 Having snapped many photographs from planes over the years, I consider this image most iconic; close to the wing tip, no airline signage, and the contrasting window giving the outside a sense of peace and freedom. Camera: Rolleiflex 2.8 Film: Ilford FP4	James Laws "Clothesline out the back" Digital Photograph $500 My work clothes hanging out to dry on a 600,000-acre cattle property in WA.
Sharon Kirk "Unnamed One" Mixed media on canvas $750 I was exploring the concept of layering and mark making using water-based spray paint and rice paper. By incorporating landscape elements, this piece then began to evolve and tell its own story.	Kiara Follent "Focus" Acrylic on canvas $300 Focus reflects on my own eyesight and how it is focused when I am not wearing glasses. Whilst wearing glasses, it is hard for the eye to focus on the lilies with the distracting background however, after taking off the glasses and viewing with blurry vision the brain focuses on the lilies and ignoring the background.	Kiara Follent "Indifference" Charcoal & acrylic on canvas $500 Candytufts are an adaptable flower which can symbolise indifference, whilst also having been symbolic of vitality whilst being associated with beauty and joy. This piece portrays the beauty whilst reflecting on the meaning of indifference using charcoal to create a melancholier piece.
Raelene Bock "With flowers in her hair" Mixed media on canvas $300 Cherished childhood memories of lazy days, glorious sunshine and moments filled with laughter that you can hold onto forever. From the humble daisy that grows profusely you could create a magical crown, fit for a princess.	Raelene Bock "Monochrome" Wire & metal $200 It’s not just black and white, there are thousands of different shades within this spectrum. The addition of the slightest hue creates and explores a totally different feeling within the blooms.	Michelle Gray & Raelene Bock "Hanging on by a Thread" Handblown glass, wire & thread $330 Teach our children how to build a fortress around themselves to protect against all the negativity and constant battering from social media. It can get knocked down, torn apart, bent out of shape and they can still rebuild it, patch it the best they can with strength and all the resilience they can muster. Sometimes delicate, held together with fine thread, sometimes strong and impenetrable…… just hang in there, even if it is by one thread.
Jessica Samuels "Jagged" Photograph $189 Inspired by the naturally occurring rock formation while taking her dogs for a walk around the water's edge, this photographer couldn’t miss the opportunity to immortalise one of our local places. This unedited picture is taken at Lake Maraboon, Fairbairn Dam, Emerald on an overcast day during the late afternoon.	Loretta Horn "The Murder" Acrylic on canvas $250 They think they have strength in numbers; they plot and plan against you. It even looks like they have defeated you. But you are so much stronger than any damage they can inflict, they just don’t realise it.	Loretta Horn "The cost of love" Acrylic on canvas $200 This painting is a tribute to a post on Facebook that described the grief the author felt at the loss of their beloved dog. It included the quote by C.S Lewis, “The pain now is part of the happiness then. That’s the deal.” The love of an animal is so wonderful that we are willing to endure the unbearable grief of losing them. I just wanted to acknowledge this in a small way.
Natasha Stanton "Storm Warning" Acrylic on canvas $350 Standing on a beach overlooking the sea. Looming clouds appears over the horizon, suggesting shelter should be located to avoid the impending storm.	Helen Chivers "Nuga Nuga" Linocut print & mixed media $200 This abstract artwork is inspired by the Nuga Nuga National Park. All the dead grey trees create this eerie feeling. I wanted to create depth by layering my lino print on different types of papers and setting it back from the glass of the frame.	Heidi Chivers "Kailei" Photograph $1,000 This is my friend Kailei. I wanted to capture her personality, she is a quiet person who enjoys books and drawing. Society often sees teenagers as disrespectful and rude, but they need to take the time to get to know us individually and not just see us as a problem.
Heidi Chivers "Water is Life" Photograph $200 I captured this leaf gathering water after a big rainfall. Water is such an important resource that we need to survive in this world. I wanted to communicate the precious life-giving quality that water brings to our planet.	Erin Godfrey "Escalera" Graphite on paper $150 Escalera is a pencil drawing of The Grand Staircase in Paronella Park, and it was the first piece of architecture built as part of a replica Spanish villa that a cane farmer made for his wife. Paronella Park is a beautiful place and I would highly recommend travelling there someday.	Idia Iwers "Patchwork" Gouache on canvas NFS Our environment’s unposed, simple, or humble elements are severely neglected within contemporary society. The influence of social media and constant innovation has resulted in a community that continuously over consumes and grows bored with what was once widely valued. Patchwork reveals the natural beauty within the unposed and candid. Each small moment is the culmination of personal memories, emotions, relationships, and identities, producing an image to be cherished by an individual, family or community. The use of individual squares created in Patchwork, acts as a metaphor for how the chosen point in time is a patchwork of countless external and internal factors that produce a personally significant subject.
William Strong "Cats on the tree" Digital Art NFS This is the first digital art piece I have created for an award competition. It is a revision of an older art piece. It depicts two cats sitting in a tree watching the sun set. Cats and chickens are my favourite subjects, by repeating them, I can gauge if my artwork is improving.	Gracie Gersbach "It's a piece of cake" Acrylic & oil on canvas $70 Although I don’t enjoy eating cake very much, I love painting and baking them. My grandmother loves cooking and has been a big influence on me. I also enjoy painting intricate details very much and I love painting food.	Matthew Weeks "Fruit Bowl" Acrylic on canvas $100 I wanted to make a very bright painting and concentrate on healthy food. Fruit provided the perfect combination of a health message and bright colours.
Matthew Weeks "The world of imagination" Acrylic on canvas NFS The world of Imagination is a world for children to play with toys and their big imaginations and their minds. It's very colourful and fun for children.	Ariana Stewart "Books do come alive" Watercolour on paper NFS The characters leap from the pages of the story, bringing them into being in the real world.	Meisha Greentree "Nature's Tiling" Acrylic on canvas $50 The work Nature’s Tiling aims to celebrate the natural beauty of our area and imitates the unique patterns created by fallen leaves piling together. Leaves were painted and then pressed directly onto the canvas to display the diverse and beautiful flora in the Central Highlands.
Jacon Samuels "Time without hands" Fabricated steel $245 The artist initially intended to create a mechanical clock; however, during the creative process discovered that he found appreciation in the simplistic, raw and symmetrical piece as it is. Designed to be used as a multifaceted & multifunctional piece to be used as the owner desires - a table decoration, hung on the wall as a feature piece, utilised as an alternative photo board etc.	Rahpael Chivers "Bottle Tree" Mixed media $100 I go past the Bottle Trees on Rifle Range Road on my way to and from school. I like the shape of the trees – they kinda look like a plant and not a tree. I used the white paint pen to draw the texture of the bark on the tree. I picked colours I liked for the background. One half is day and the other half night.	Amy Loch "Christmas Night" Watercolour & pencil on paper $15 A Christmas tree is my favourite thing to draw. Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I love to spend time with my family.
George Roberts "Snake Terror" Coloured pencil on paper $12 I like snakes, they are easy to draw. They are my favourite thing to draw.	Jackson Kirby "Deadly Texas" Coloured pens on paper $20 I like watching shows about Texas because Texas has a lot of snakes, eagles and deadly animals. The colours are desert colours.	Myles Loch "Octavius" Watercolour & ink on paper NFS The octopus is my favourite sea creature. They are so interesting and can change colour and form.
Ella Kirby "Summer Swish" Watercolour & ink on paper NFS When we go out in the paddock in the afternoon, there is a beautiful sunset that makes the Buffel grass look golden.	Addison Roberts "The Summer Sun" Watercolour & ink on paper NFS I enjoy drawing sunsets; they are so pretty, and I love the cool breeze that comes with the sunset.	Tavenor Stewart "Skateboard" Acrylic on a skateboard NFS I wanted to paint a stitch bear and a honey bear, so I combined them and chose to paint it on our old skateboard.
Kelsey Allen "Meowshrooms" Acrylic on canvas $45 My inspiration for this painting was to create a mushroom landscape with a cat sitting in the middle of it. I thought it would be really cool to paint.	Sarah Simpson "Rain like gold" Acrylic & gold leaf on canvas $50 I never go a day without doing art. My Dad works at Sunwater and during the drought it was horrible, and the dam was really low; it was very hard on my father so now when it rains it’s like gold.	Georgia Kinnon "The Secret Doorway" Acrylic on canvas $60 I am an 11-year-old artist who has been influenced by my aunty who creates watercolour art. She has taught me different techniques when painting flowers. I love painting anything green especially sage green. I also like trying new perspectives when painting and drawing.
Safiya Higgins "Stormy Solitude" Acrylic on canvas $75 This painting was inspired by a feeling of contented loneliness. I am a hobbyist artist living in Emerald. I’m fascinated by nature and rainy days and both feature in the painting. The sense of contented loneliness involved in the painting reflects my own feelings of contentment in a natural environment.	Gracie Michelmore "At rest" Acrylic on canvas NFS I was inspired to do this art piece just after Australia day when my friends and I were talking about koalas. I was thinking what an amazing way to describe the feeling of peace. They are cute, fluffy and love a cuddle.	Erin Matusch "Rainbow Hope" Acrylic on canvas NFS My painting is called Rainbow Hope, after the colourful flowers growing in the dark. I painted the flowers using a new technique I wanted to try. The cat ‘Fizzy’ is a character that I created a while ago, so I thought that I would bring her to life by painting her.
Erin Matusch "Stacks-olotls" Acrylic on canvas NFS The inspirations for this painting came from my love of animals, especially axolotls. My painting is based on one of my axolotl drawings. I painted ‘stacks-olotls’ in my free time because I had just received some canvases, and I had wanted to paint it for a long time.	Layla-Jane Samuels "Fairy Perry" Sketch on paper $35 This piece is the outcome of the ADHD artist enjoying drawing as ‘downtime’ after a day full of over stimulation. Inspired by the fantasy world, the artist has created a representation of a Fairy called Perry.	Layla-Jane Samuels "Wonder" Sketch on paper $35 This piece is inspired by DC Comic Wonder Woman. The artist has created her own comic/anime style of drawing, and this is her representation of a modern-day Wonder Woman.