Author Archives: Lou-Anne

Denise Cross

DENISE CROSS – Visual Artist

1994-2025
Visual Artist & Secondary Visual Arts Educator

Artist Bio

Denise Cross is a visual artist undertaking her MVA, working primarily in acrylic painting and drawing media. She acquires elements from symbolism and realism, taking her work through a process of stylisation throughout her folio of still-life, portrait and landscape paintings. The central driving force to Denise’s artwork is to bring to light hidden stories as well as bringing to life what others may perceive as ordinary, providing a platform to see inward beauty rise to the surface.

She is also deeply motivated in providing opportunities to bring hope, appreciation, healing, or to challenge preconceived ideas or notions. Denise Cross has been a finalist in a series of reputable art competitions, such as Brisbane Portrait Awards and Redlands Art Awards, regularly contributing works to solo and group exhibitions, within Queensland and Bangkok. She has been a secondary art teacher for 25 years, completing a BFA and M.Ed.

AWARDS & PRIZES

2025 Finalist, All Creatures and Wild Things, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane
2025 Finalist, Harold & Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane
2024 Finalist, Redland Art Awards, Redland Art Gallery, Redlands
2024 QRRA Emerging Artists Exhibition, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Brisbane
2024 Brisbane Portrait Awards: Emerging Artists Exhibition, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Petrie Terrace, Brisbane
2023 Finalist, Brisbane Portrait Awards, Brisbane Power House, Brisbane
2023/24 Finalist, Brisbane Rotary Art Awards, Eagle Lane, Brisbane
2023 Finalist, Lethbridge Gallery Small Scale Art Awards, 136 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington
2022/23/24 Finalist, The Doyles Art Award, School of Arts Memorial Hall, Mudgeeraba
2022/23/24 Finalist, Ipswich Art Awards, Dandiiri Room Level 1, Ipswich City
2022 Finalist, Percival Animal Portrait Awards, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
2018 Finalist, Percival Portrait Painting Prize, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville
1991 Finalist, Suncorp Art Awards Exhibition, Brisbane
1988 Karl and Gertrude Langer Memorial Prize (Fine Art Painting) QCA, Sevenhills

Nicole de la Mar

Dutch-born Nicole is a mother of five and lover of art.

She creates exquisite semi-abstract artworks with acrylic on large and small canvas. She is inspired by many cultures and experiences, but lately has found her garden and the nature surrounding her as the main source of her inspiration.

Nicole quotes:-
“Love and Art are intertwined in a web of conversation”

For more info on Nicole visit her website or Instagram page.

Winners – 2025 All Creatures and Wild Things

The Royal Queensland Art Society would like to congratulate all the winners in the 2025 All Creatures and Wild Things exhibition.

Thank you also to our judges Martin Day and Graham W. Smith (FRQAS). Please scroll down to view the winning artworks and judges’ comments.

First Prize

Shadowfax

by Terry Hadnutt

This is a powerful painting that captures the spirit and motion of a grey horse with remarkable energy and emotion. The swirling, ambiguous background—rendered in vivid, rich colours—creates a
dynamic contrast that perfectly balances the composition. There’s a refined restraint at play, reflecting the artist’s seasoned instinct to stop at just the right moment, allowing the piece to breathe without overworking it. The result is a striking blend of impressionistic technique, thematic depth, and expressive colour use—a beautiful portrayal of movement and mood. Truly, a compelling and masterful work. Well done!

Second Prize

Marvel

by Soroor Behbahani

This pencil rendering of Octopus vulgaris is a remarkably detailed and skilful study that reflects the artist’s deep understanding of cephalopod anatomy, surpassing mere reliance on photographic
reference. The composition, though ambitious, is thoughtfully executed, with striking contrasts in lighting and a well-balanced interplay between the rich, dark background and the vivid, intricately rendered foreground. It is a striking close-up composition, expertly perceived with exceptional detail and precision. Congratulations!

Third Prize

“Please Dad, I Dropped Mine” (Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos)

by Kristy-Ann Duffy

This endearing painting of a yellow-tailed black cockatoo family is both visually striking and emotionally resonant. Thoughtfully composed with a clear narrative, the work demonstrates technical finesse and artistic sensitivity. Though rendered in acrylic, it carries the richness and depth of an oil painting. The feather textures are particularly impressive—vividly coloured, intricately detailed, and expertly observed. The choice of canvas size is commendable, allowing the birds to be portrayed at nearly life-size, enhancing the viewer’s sense of presence and intimacy. A beautifully executed piece—congratulations to the artist on an exceptional work.

Highly Commended

The Vegemite Frogs

by Casey Charles

A well-executed painting that cleverly blends a culturally significant product with the playful charm and larrikin humour of adding two mischievous green tree frogs. The result is a delightful fusion of tradition and whimsy, brought to life through thoughtful composition, rich colour work, and solid technical perspective. This artwork is both cheeky and clever—an engaging concept executed with skill and character. Well done!

Highly Commended – Young Artist Award

Currents

by Pixell Rathmell

This painting presents a captivating and imaginative concept—melding the realistic depiction of a jellyfish with a beautifully blended, warm-toned background. The semi-abstract composition invites interpretation; one compelling reading suggests a glimpse into the jellyfish’s ancient, 650-million-year evolutionary past, evoking a sense of primordial mystery and near-immortality. The work is both visually striking and technically refined, with a strong atmospheric presence. A thoughtful and well-executed piece—well done!

Fellows Recognition Award

Fylgja (Guardian Spirit)

by Ciel

When I received my first three awards for my watercolours in 1968, I wanted to know what made the winners better than mine. I was told some of the criteria were composition, values, edges, choice of subject and if it had impact … was it painterly?

Apart from watercolours, it is relatively easier for a competent artist to create a larger painting, but size doesn’t always mean it is superior to a small work. Judging can be simpler when it is divided into different media and sections in competitions.

This wildlife exhibition, with different media, made selecting a winner due to the variety of eclectic subjects based on the theme, much harder. Whenever I judge, I narrow it down to about 5-6 works, particularly the smaller works, so I looked at every painting at least twice and I don’t look at the artist’s names.

In the end it came down to a few works that I kept coming back to that was closest to the brief of “OUR RELATIONSHPS WITH ANIMALS”. I also considered whether I would be happy to see the work in my home. Finally, I asked myself these questions from the brief: What was the animal thinking? What was the relationship with humans? What was the human thinking?

So, the winner is the work No. 22 in oils by Ciel–“Fylgja (Guardian Spirit)”

Graham W. Smith F.R.Q.A.S. M.P.A.

Peoples Choice Award

The Peoples Choice Award will be announced at the end of the exhibition.

Kate Vox

Artist Bio

Born in South Africa, grown in New Zealand and now calling Australia’s spectacular Sunshine Coast “home”, for Kate the call to create was intrinsic.

Coming from a richly artistic and musically inclined heritage, she had won multiple awards as a child and teen artist and was repeatedly encouraged to pursue a career in the arts.

She has since spent her life being a multidisciplinary artist, (Musician, TV presenter, Actor and now Fine Artist).

Her current artwork weaves themes of interconnectedness; with our environment and each other, the unseen magic at play, and the creative possibilities present in being alive!

As she says: “What if the real magic in this world is self-belief, self-love, empathy and honesty?”

Kate is currently building her art studio and dream in Sunshine Coast’s Hinterland, having finally chosen painting as her favourite medium to encourage humanity to embrace inner peace and self-belief.

Artist Statement

“My art is an invitation to feel good!

Deeply, profoundly, joyfully good!

It highlights the abundance all around us…

Noticing the good in everything and everyone, including ourselves!

My paintings mirror my attitude towards life; colours are vibrantly alive, subjects brimming with a sense of both peace and power.

There is a playful prompting to see the unseen, to feel the magic and possibilities alive in every moment and to dare to believe in our own greatness!”

Charlie McGann

Artist Statement
The visual arts and crafts have always been part of who I am. I owe this to generations of makers in my family, who revelled in applying their creativity to whatever resources they had to hand in order to achieve their needs and fulfill their desires. This creative heritage included a diverse array of textile and wood crafts as well as the art of repurposing found objects in creative ways – well before it was fashionable to recycle. This imbued a joyful fascination with, not only using mundane materials to create beautiful artefacts, but with the alchemy that occurs when those artefacts communicate in ways that words cannot.

Education
Given my curiosity about everything, the knowledge I’ve gained from formal study, now represents only a small part of my lifelong accumulation of relevant skills and understandings. Regardless, formal bundles of learning are easier to qualify in support of credibility, and so here is some of what I’ve studied at a tertiary level:
 Undergraduate Certificate in Art History – Curtin University
 Diploma of Visual Arts – Painting – Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
 Undergraduate Certificate – 3D Design – Queensland College of Art
 Bachelor of Built Environment – Interior Design. Queensland University of Technology
 Environmental Science – Griffith University
 Philosophy and Ethics: classical formal logic. University of Queensland

Influences – approach
The practical disciplines gained from my design education and occupations, in particular my work in Interior Design, informs not only the content planning and aesthetics of a piece but consideration of how it will work within a space it is to inhabit. A painting cannot fully reveal its story if it doesn’t lend itself to being placed where it will be seen often and then be able to repeatedly draw the viewer in to learn more. I aspire to create work that reveals more from each opportunity, giving the story time to be embedded, rather than delivering a quick and perhaps therefore, forgettable, message.

Influences – themes
Driven by my ethical and scientific interests, an important theme in my work seeks to expand awareness of the Animal Condition – a subset of which is, of course, the Human Condition – and the proposition that our common sentience entitles us to the same rights. Truly accepting this requires the upheaval of an array of cultural norms and forces an uncomfortable reckoning for most. As such – rather than confronting people with a traumatised cute cow – I approach it using human figures as relatable and expressive vehicles, with the hope that empathy for our shared potential for suffering will be revealed. Perhaps if that revelation results from an image of beautiful humans exhibiting the privileges of human life, the juxtaposition will lead to a comparative reflection upon what matters…and, if not, they have a beautiful picture to put on their wall until one day maybe it does.