April 14, 2015
A close-up of an Australian Light Horseman astride his horse has taken the $1000 first prize in this year’s South Burnett Regional Council Acquisitive Art Competition.
The painting, by Tingoora artist Robyn Dower, also won the People’s Choice Award when the competition’s winners were announced at Kingaroy Art Gallery on Saturday morning.
In honour of this year’s up-coming Anzac Centenary, the Australian Light Horse was selected as the theme for this year’s Acquisitive.
Entries could be in any media, providing they reflected some aspect of Australia’s Light Horse regiments.
The competition attracted more than 30 entries, including many from students, and was judged by well-known South Burnett pastel artists Lyn Felsman and Judith Goodham.
Robyn’s entry was praised by Mrs Felsman for its “liveliness” and “immediacy”.
“The Light Horseman is looking away from us and has just started to wheel his horse about, his attention obviously attracted by something elsewhere, just out of our sight,” she said.
“We can only speculate what it is that has caught his eye.”
She said it was this instant reaction the picture provoked in viewers that made it such a wonderful work.
In addition to the top prize, this year’s Acquisitive also gave awards in a Youth category, along with the People’s Choice and adult awards.
Kassie MacLaren (“Return Of My Soldiers”), Jessica Barron (“War Soldier”) and Hannah Depper (“The Light Horse”) all received High Commendations, while Year 10 student Erin Newman from St Mary’s Catholic College won the 2015 Youth Award for her work “Lost Soldier”
In the adult section, Shannus O’Sullivan (“Horse Troopers At Lone Pine”) and Sue Lederhose (“Horse Change Delivery”) won High Commendations.
Shaeleigh Cull from Kingaroy won third prize for her scrapbooking-inspired work “The Australian Light Horsemen In The First World War”, and Sue Lederhose second prize for “Light Horse Camp At Sinai”.
Winner Robyn Dower said she was surprised and delighted to have her work selected to become part of the Council’s permanent art collection.
It is her first win in the annual competition.
- The 2015 South Burnett Regional Council Acquisitive Art Competition will remain on display the Kingaroy Art Gallery from 9:00am to 4:30pm weekdays and 10:00am to 4:00pm weekends – except for Anzac Day, when the Gallery will be closed – untl the end of the month.
