Author Archives: Kate Bounas

Winners – 133rd Members Annual 2023

The Royal Queensland Art Society would like to congratulate the winners of the 133nd Members Annual.

Judged by Annette Raff, Robert Brownhall and Graeme Marshall.

To find out more about our judges scroll to the bottom of the page

Exhibition continues in Petrie Terrace Gallery until Sunday 23rd July.


Overall Winner – Best Artwork

Wetland Edge

by Beverley Tainton

Acrylic

Judges Comments:

….


SECTION 1: Painting – Oils & Acrylics

First Prize

The Clearing

by Qi liu

Oil

Judges Comments:

Second Prize

CAUTION! Treacherous Sea; Approaching Storm

by Warren Hampton

Oil

Judges Comments:

Highly Commended

The Gathering

by Jennifer Long

Oil on Linen

Judges Comments:


SECTION 2: Painting – Watercolour

First Prize

Near Chinatown

by Glen Gillard

Watercolour

Judges Comments:

Second Prize

Terra Firma

by Jennifer Long

Watercolour

Judges Comments:

….


SECTION 3: Photography and Digital

First Prize

Sunburst a Japanese Garden 1

by Richard Vallance

Photography

Judges Comments:

Second Prize

Breathe

by Di Cox

Digital

Judges Comments:


SECTION 4: Sculpture – 3D works all media

First Prize

Flirt II

by Zygmunt Libucha

Bronze

Judges Comments:

“The artist’s skill and deep understanding of the human form are evident in the craftsmanship and attention to detail exhibited in this lovely bronze sculpture.
The use of bronze imparting a sense of permanence and longevity as the medium for this sculpture, yet the solidity is not heavy; showing the beautifully rounded female figure in a light and light-hearted way. The artist has captured the cheekiness in the eyes, the face and the gesture of the body; in short the Flirt.
The curvaceous shapes merge in a harmonious way, giving the piece a pleasing presence that captivates viewer from every angle.”

Second Prize

Martina’s Slumber: A Serene Italian Model

by Tanya Carmichael

Terracotta and Plaster

Judges Comments:

“This beautifully executed terracotta portrait neatly captures emotions that flow from “”serenity””.
Martina’s sleep puts the trials of her waking life aside and artist evokes the tranquillity, calmness, inner peace and indeed liberation.
The artist has struck the balance between realism and abstraction, stylising Martina enough for us to see her equally as a martyr in ancient Rome or as a contemporary woman, sleeping easy with the power of her convictions.”


SECTION 5: Drawing – All Media

First Prize

Wiggerly Woo

by Jo Cochrane

Graphite, Coloured Pencil and Pastel

Judges Comments:

“This is a superb example of hyper-realism in pencil, with coloured pencil and pastel overlay.
The subject woman, despite her age and condition, is truly alive behind her hands and indeed beneath the skin, perhaps delighting a favourite grandchild.
The artist’s ability to recreate our subject with precision and accuracy is truly commendable. Each pencil mark has been carefully considered and executed, resulting in a highly convincing representation The artist has expertly rendered light and shadow and captured form and texture in a completely convincing way.”

Second Prize

Survival of the Fittest – Ascot Battleground

by Robyn Bauer

Charcoal

Judges Comments:

The artist has created a brooding mood through the skilful use of charcoal to create a bleak dark sky, a tree defoliated and maybe dying and the last object standing the trunk of a once living tree now pressed into service to carry electrical wires, a potent symbol of our industrialised modern world. Through the artist’s eyes can we see that the stakes could not be higher about what we truly value?


SECTION 6: 2D Artworks – Any Other Media

First Prize

A Family of the Land

by Wayne Singleton

Hand Coloured Linocut Print

Judges Comments:

‘A family of the Land’ has a very appealing sense of light shining through the forest.

Second Prize

Window View with Merlot

by Elisabeth Ruiz

Watercolour, Acrylic and Pen

Judges Comments:

‘Window View with Merlot’ has a nicely balanced, strongly built composition. There is a good sense of depth in this painting also.


People’s Choice

Announced at the end of the exhibition


Judges Biographies

Annette Raff has been a successful art practitioner and teacher for the past 23 years; teaching three weekly art classes as well as conducting numerous workshops. She uses a combination of teaching processes directed at various learning styles, including practical demonstrations and lessons in process and media application, analysis of other artists’ works both contemporary and historical, and class discussions. “I have always been captivated by the creative process, intellectual challenge, and diversity of media application. I encourage my students to explore possibilities, make mistakes and extend their learning”. With more than 20 Awards and Prizes, 3 Artist-In-Residences and a number of exhibitions of her work, Annette is a highly qualified and sought-after teacher and artist in her own right.

Graham Marshall, an architect trained in the ‘old school’, has been fortunate to learn some of the secrets of traditional watercolour. He continues to have a passion for creating watercolour and ink artworks of both urban and natural landscapes, often incorporating them in his travel journals. In addition to his interest in painting, he is also an avid sculptor, with a focus on clay portraits and human figures. For over a decade, he has been conducting long-session sculpture workshops. Recently, as the President of Sculpture Queensland, he collaborated with a Queensland Correctional Centre to conduct a successful series of Hebel carving workshops for the inmates.

Robert Brownhall is a realist painter, inspired by his local environment of South-East Queensland. Over nearly thirty years of painting, Robert has developed a unique style characterised by a strong connection to place with his moody nocturnes, broad sweeping panoramas and gritty vignettes of urban life. He is represented in a number of institutional collections including Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art; Art Gallery of New South Wales; Museum of Brisbane; Home of the Arts, Gold Coast; and the Federal Court of Australia, Canberra.

Brisbane: Landmarks, Landscapes and Personalities 2023 – Winners

Congratulations to our prize winners and thank you to our Judge Bill Gannon, and Fellows Selector Beverley Tainton.


First Prize

Under Construction

by Alexandra Matthews

JUDGES COMMENTS

A highly engaging painting about inner Brisbane at twilight/night. There is a strong sense of the city’s hilly landscape. The workers look over the CBD and invite the viewer to do the same. Excellent use of acrylic. Fine composition, colour and light. Enough detail in the foreground leading to the dancing lights in the background.


Second Prize

Brisbane Morning and Dusk

by Chris Foley

JUDGES COMMENTS

An appealing study of the Brisbane skyline at the beginning and end of day. The oil work shows a good use of light, tone and colour. Having ‘two’ works offers the intrigue of finding what elements are highlighted and what are hidden at different times in the subtropical city.


Third Prize

Sunshine on James

by Peter Hubbard

JUDGES COMMENTS

The work playfully explores a typical Brisbane outdoor gathering space. The bold use of yellow amplifies the sense of sunshine.


Highly Commended

Suburban Symbolism in Brisbane

by Julie Litte

JUDGES COMMENTS

The viewer is drawn into a typical Brissy backyard. Well composed and painted. Strong and simple execution.


Highly Commended

Outside Brisbane

by Max Butler

JUDGES COMMENTS

The small work exhibits a strong understanding of landscape with a smart selection of colour.


Highly Commended

Walter Taylor Bridge

by Anne Maree O’Brien

JUDGES COMMENTS

The artist produced a fine watercolour work of a Brisbane landmark. Excellent shadows and tones.


Fellows Recognition Award

Poinciana Summer

by James Randall

SELECTORS COMMENTS:

I feel this art work embraces originality and creativity – but, most importantly it emits a personality and feeling of a Brisbane Poinciana summer. Composition is very well balanced and colour use moves me around the artwork, engaging me in a feeling of that Brisbane summer I know so well.


Peoples Choice

Above Queen Mary Falls

by De Gillett Cox

Splash 2023 – Winners

Congratulations to our prize winners and thank you to our Judge Jane James, and Fellows Selector Greg de Silva.


First Prize

Feeding Frenzy

by Casey Charles

JUDGES COMMENTS

“I was impressed by the complex subject matter tackled in this piece. The painting is striking in its dynamic composition, and clever capturing of movement.
The palette is vibrant and clean, and the painterly brushwork further reinforces the energy of the work. A well resolved and challenging work.


Second Prize

Seal Rocks

by Wayne Singleton

JUDGES COMMENTS

I was particularly impressed by the treatment of the water in this work, and the movement that was captured in a linear medium. It is a thoughtfully composed work, with a restrained and effective use of colour. It is both whimsical and dynamic, and a skilful rendering of complex subject matter.


Third Prize

Find Rest in the Water

by Jules Farrell

JUDGES COMMENTS

A beautifully painterly piece, which is both atmospheric and evocative. It is a good example of the use of atmospheric perspective in a moody but balanced composition.


Highly Commended

Afternoon at the Rocks (Sydney)

by Anna Gonzalez

JUDGES COMMENTS

A skilful use of line and composition in a monochrome work.


Highly Commended

Sub-Woofer

by Jo Cochrane

JUDGES COMMENTS

This is an epic undertaking in coloured pencil, and an excellent use of the medium. The capturing of such dynamic and difficult subject matter is very impressive.


Young Artist Excellence Award – 18-30yrs old

Shall I Join You

by Emma Duck

JUDGES COMMENTS

Interesting composition and use of colour pencil as a medium.


Fellows Recognition Award

Storm Approaching Woody Head

by Dr. Ekaterina Strounina

SELECTORS COMMENTS:

A charming little seascape conveying a mood of the approaching storm, the wave creating that ‘splash’ as it connects with the rocks on the shore line with different tones of blue, getting deeper as we move further out to sea. Warm hues of the rocks (brown) and the shoreline add to the overall effect of the image, not sure if the tide had been out and is now coming in. The white tones of the seagulls mirror the white in the wave – well done!


Peoples Choice

Feeding Frenzy

by Casey Charles

Harold & Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize 2023 – Winners

Congratulations to our prize winners and thank you to our Judge Richard Blundell, and Fellows Selector Peter Hubbard.


First Prize

12 Years Old

by Leo Liu

JUDGES COMMENTS

The work by Chuck Close and Philip Pearlstein has given us an understanding of scale in large figurative works. This drawing provides a “reporting” that continues in this tradition that gives intimacy to the drawing itself. In this sense, the drawing medium itself is a key element of the work.


Second Prize

Forrest Water Cascades

by Dr. Christine Kirkegard

JUDGES COMMENTS

Drawings about landscape have a long history in both western and eastern traditions. Ideas about structure and cosmology provide a silent expression that speaks to seeing and understanding the world around us. This work is about a specific place with a specific structural form informed by the 19th century approaches of the “ Humboldt school” where direct observation is informed by a scientific mind.


Third Prize

Remembering Antonio Bonet

by Alan Innes

JUDGES COMMENTS

This work fits a model of Queensland education at its inception which is “applied” art. We once perceived ourselves as in less need of “Fine Art””, rather art that fits into publication and gives responses to society’s social fabric. This work gives a very grounded outcome with a reductionist aesthetic.

Highly Commended

Studio Scene

by Laura McCallion

JUDGES COMMENTS

A passionate & intimate engagement with the subject.

Young Artist Excellence Award – 18-30yrs old

Still Life with Apples

by Olga Kuznetsova

JUDGES COMMENTS

Interesting composition and use of colour pencil as a medium.


Young Artist Excellence Award – 17yrs and under

Ficus Macrophylla

by Lachie Elliott

JUDGES COMMENTS

Good observational drawing & cropping of the image provides a mature compositional element


Fellows Recognition Award

Bruno

by Jo Cochrane

SELECTORS COMMENTS:

The line work of the fur is beautiful, and has a very organic feel. One curl flows into the next effortlessly. Very Sensitive.


Peoples Choice

Visiting Monet

by Amy Bridge

What’s on – 2023 Exhibitions


The Royal Queensland Art Society has so many exciting exhibitions and opportunities for artists coming up in 2023.

Click the Exhibition Titles below to find out more about the entering the exhibitions and important dates.


Exhibition on show: Friday 31st March – Sunday 23rd April
Entries closed


Exhibition on show: Friday 12th May – Sunday 4th June
Entry forms due: 12th April


Exhibition on Show: Wednesday 14th June – Sunday 23rd July

Entry forms due: 10th May


Exhibition on Show: Friday 4th August – Sunday 3rd September

Entry Forms Due: 4th July


Exhibition on Show: Friday 29th September – Sunday 29th October

Entries due: Tuesday 1st August (Via Brisbane Portrait Prize)

More information coming soon


Exhibition on show: Friday 17th November – Friday 15th December

Entry forms due: 10th October

Check out this incredible art exhibition exploring the imagination through the use of symbolic images, forms, and colours. Discover hidden meanings beneath the surface and experience the inner truths brought to life through fantastic realism, visionary, and inspirational art. All artists, both 2D and 3D, are invited to submit their work. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to explore the fantastical!

An Artists Place – Prize Winners

Congratulations to our prize winners and thank you to our judge Sally L’Estrange


First Prize

The Artists Spontaneous Combustion

by Anna Gonzalez

JUDGES COMMENTS

I love this painting, I’ve been there too! Fantastic, Good on you!


Second Prize

Forrest Water Cascades

by Dr Kay Kane

JUDGES COMMENTS

Wow! What stunning technique, elegant composition and rhythmic patterns.


Third Prize

Gap Creek 2

by Qi Liu

JUDGES COMMENTS

Stunning colour and composition. What a rich, sensuous response to your environment.

Highly Commended

Studio Scene

by Peter Hubbard

JUDGES COMMENTS

Very sophisticated and moody. That teal blue just sings. I love the ochre halo on the figure.

Highly Commended

Supervisor Barney

by Andrew Measham

JUDGES COMMENTS

Great drawing and great tone. Lovely, rich surface.


Hangmans Award – Selected by staff

By the Loo

by Chantelle Weippert

STAFF COMMENTS

A dynamic and detailed composition that reminds us that creativity can happen in even the most unexpected places. It could even be ‘By The Loo’


Peoples Choice

The Art Room

by Chantelle Weippert

Presentation Guidelines

Finishing and Professionalism for Artwork Entered into RQAS Exhibitions

When entering artwork into RQAS exhibitions, the artworks need to be presented and finished in a professional manner. This helps the gallery to create a cohesive exhibition with a professional look, as well as ensuring the hanging process is easy and safe for our staff and volunteers.

PLEASE REFER TO THE EXHIBITION TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR MININMUM FRAMING REQUIREMENTS.

Artworks must be clean, dry and professionally finished before being delivered to the gallery. This includes cleaning the glass and wiping off any dust that may have accumulated while in storage.

To download guidelines and view images please click here

Painted Edges & Framed Works

If works on stretched canvas are not framed the edges of the canvas must be cleanly finished. Artists may choose to paint the edge a single colour such as grey or a colour that complements the artwork, see  Figure 1, or you may complete the artwork in the “round” as in Figure 2. In the “round” means to extend the painting around the edge of the canvas. Essentially, the edges should not have random marks, such as fingerprints or paint drips.

D Rings

Framed artworks and works on canvas (or otherwise mounted) must be ready to hang on the wall using medium or large sized “D” rings placed approximately 5-10cm from the top of the frame. Attach hooks facing upwards and on the outside of the canvas frame, as pictured in Figure 3. Wire or string is not required. However, if you would like to add wire or string, please see Figure 3. As you can see the wire is further down the canvas and is not attached to the top “D” ring.

Squaring Up

To determine if a rectangular or square canvas is “square” or “squared up”, measure the diagonal of the canvas/artwork, and it should be the same length both ways. Please refer to Figure 4.

Foxing & Mould

Foxing is an age-related process of deterioration that causes spots and browning and can appear as brown, yellow, or red stains on the paper or canvas. If it appears on an artwork mat, the work must be reframed with a new mat. If it appears on the canvas or paper, it must be treated and repainted, so it is not visible.

Artwork Labels

Clearly mark the artist’s name, contact details, the title of work, and price on an artwork label, to be placed on the back of the work. We need this information to easily identify your artwork before the exhibition labels (didactics) and catalogue are printed for the exhibition. Some artists choose to write this information on the back of the frame/canvas directly. You may also choose to include this on a removable/temporary label, or on a permanent label or “Certificate of Authenticity”.