When I was Young

by Tahlia Pearce

Celebrating – the artist’s skill in observation from life:
This artist celebrates the art of still life. From picking special objects and setting the scene, to bringing different textures to life.
I especially love the contrast between the soft, fuzzy bears and the solid heaviness of the stone; it shows how deeply the artist truly looked at their subject.

Scarlet Glass

by Alexandria Dunn

Celebrating – the artist’s skill in observation from life:
This piece exhibits a high level of attention to light, reflection, and shadow in a challenging still life. It successfully captures the difficult contrast between soft textures and translucent subjects through careful observation.

Mired

by Petrit Elshani

Celebrating – the artist’s skill in observation from life:
This is a lovely example of getting the most “feeling” from the “fewest marks”. This artist has focused on using bold, confident brushstrokes to simplify complex facial planes.

My Poppy

by Matthew Gibb

Celebrating – Originality:
This artist displays a unique take on painting from life combining originality and playfulness and literally popped from the wall. Take a close look as it gets better the more you look at it. Bold colour choices and confident placement give it a vibrant character and charm.

It Needs More Salt

by Amy Miller

Celebrating – Originality:
An everyday subject transformed and elevated with attention to the simplicity of shadow and light.

Hues of Autumn

by Sam Geritz

Celebrating – Originality:
A beautifully composed example of restrained focus and concentration. This artist has lost themselves in the subject in producing a cleverly composed and intriguing work of art.

Street Kitty

by Seras Pendragon

Celebrating – Originality:
I cannot help but smile when I look at this painting. A cheerful take and creatively composed with a skillful use of complementary colours of cools and warms.

B2

by Archer Tiel

Celebrating – the artist’s skill in observation from life:
A lovely, restrained brush technique paying attention to the light and shadow describing the essential planes of the face, neck and shirt in a confident painterly way for such a young artist.

Mother in the Bad Ischl Summer

by Weiliao Zhang

Celebrating – the artist’s skill in observation from life:
The most striking element of this painting is the observation of light and shadow and how that behaves in a physical space when describing a complex subject that includes foliage, architectural and human elements. All the while balancing technical skill with a strong sense of being there.

Asleep

by Bryani-rose Raines

Celebrating – a High Level of Accuracy and Refined Detail
An intriguing viewpoint elevates this small monochrome work. The technical mastery in its disciplined, accurate rendering, showcasing a highly refined control over the medium to achieve exceptional realism.

My Quiet Space

by Felicity Lu

Celebrating – the artist’s skill in observation from life
An outstanding artwork given the young age of this artist. Using a simple pencil to skillfully describe the variety of shapes, surfaces and textures observed in an everyday space, all while capturing the diffused light through a window to illuminate the scene.

Self Portrait

by Lilah McMahon

Celebrating – a High Level of Accuracy and Refined Detail
This work is captivating in its accuracy and disciplined observation. The artist has patiently captured the complex nuances of light and skin texture with a level of refined skill that brings the subject to life with startling realism.

My Appachchi’s Story

by Mahith Wijesooriya

Outstanding Originality:
I was captivated by this artist’s keen sense of observation, combined with outstanding originality, mood, and confident execution, all clearly intentional.