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Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Open Theme Winner
Sponsor: ATCO Australia
Prize: $8,000
Judge’s comments:
This is a confident work that moves through a big landscape bravura brushwork and a refined understanding of colour and composition. The upper third of the painting employs a subtle array of colours to striking effect, which acts as a contrast to the solidity of the foreground.
ARTWORK ID: 3101
CATEGORY: Open Theme
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This painting came out of spending time just being in the landscape and noticing how quietly everything sits together. The hill, the trees, the open sky, none of it is shouting for attention, but everything holds its place. I was struck by how grounded and solid the land feels, while the sky above gives everything room to breathe.
There are days in the countryside that can easily be taken for granted, when familiarity softens your attention. But on the day I painted Beneath Earth and Sky, I felt unusually present, and quietly grateful. The sun was warm without being harsh, and a gentle breeze moved through the trees, carrying a subtle sense of motion through the whole scene.
I knew the heat would build as the day went on and the sun traced its path across the sky. Still, in that brief, unrepeatable moment, I felt a deep sense of being lucky just to witness it. Beneath Earth and Sky reflects that fleeting clarity, a moment suspended, where light, atmosphere, and land come together before slowly dissolving.
MEDIUM: Oil on linen
ARTWORK DIMENSIONS (width x height): 1250mm x 1250mm
WEIGHT (approx): 9kg
ARTIST LOCATION: CHELTENHAM, VIC
Open Theme Winner
Sponsor: ATCO Australia
Prize: $8,000
Judge’s comments:
This is a confident work that moves through a big landscape bravura brushwork and a refined understanding of colour and composition. The upper third of the painting employs a subtle array of colours to striking effect, which acts as a contrast to the solidity of the foreground.
ARTWORK ID: 3101
CATEGORY: Open Theme
ARTIST STATEMENT:
This painting came out of spending time just being in the landscape and noticing how quietly everything sits together. The hill, the trees, the open sky, none of it is shouting for attention, but everything holds its place. I was struck by how grounded and solid the land feels, while the sky above gives everything room to breathe.
There are days in the countryside that can easily be taken for granted, when familiarity softens your attention. But on the day I painted Beneath Earth and Sky, I felt unusually present, and quietly grateful. The sun was warm without being harsh, and a gentle breeze moved through the trees, carrying a subtle sense of motion through the whole scene.
I knew the heat would build as the day went on and the sun traced its path across the sky. Still, in that brief, unrepeatable moment, I felt a deep sense of being lucky just to witness it. Beneath Earth and Sky reflects that fleeting clarity, a moment suspended, where light, atmosphere, and land come together before slowly dissolving.
MEDIUM: Oil on linen
ARTWORK DIMENSIONS (width x height): 1250mm x 1250mm
WEIGHT (approx): 9kg
ARTIST LOCATION: CHELTENHAM, VIC