ART has been described as a diverse example of human activities.
Colour, contour, space, contrast, harmony and technique were all aspects of art, Rotary district governor, Ray Herbert said during the opening of the 16th annual Easter Art Show staged by the Rotary Club of Kerang.
Mr Herbert said that art informed, entertained, represented social causes, provided therapy and was a source of propaganda.
“The viewer can sample, evaluate and critique,” he said.
The annual art show at the Riverside Park stadium featured 382 entries from 99 artists.
Gannawarra deputy mayor, Cr Lorraine Learmonth joined Mr Herbert in commending Rotary for its initiative and ongoing support for the arts.
“The interest in the arts and culture is growing, which is a very welcome sign,” she said.
Cr Learmonth announced that the council had acquired a watercolour painted by Sharon Pate, titled Blending In, which shows a bird amongst gum leaves.
“It relates to the bush, the river and the lakes,” she said.
The artwork adds to the shire’s growing collection of art acquired at the art show.
The Christian churches sponsored an Easter themed section titled Joy and Hope in Faith.
Fr Simon Robinson said that the interest in this section had increased and, while it was difficult to choose the best art, the winning work “latched onto the positivity of the resurrection” of Jesus Christ.
The winning painting was an oil/acrylic painting by Lorraine Lewitzka, titled Behold He Comes.
The inaugural youth encouragement award presented in memory of the late Kerang artist, Yvette Brimacombe, was awarded to a pastel drawing by Victoria Farrant.
Prominent award-winning Werribee artist and art teacher, Janet Knight was the show judge.
She said that she was significantly impressed with the quality of exhibits.
“There’s so much talent here, it really blew me away,” she said.
Ms Knight said that she had taken six hours to thoroughly scrutinise all exhibits.
“The winners really deserve these awards tonight,” she said.
“They have put all their soul, passion and effort into their work.”
Geoff Paynter, a past show winner, was adjudged to have the best artwork in the show with an oil/acrylic showing a rocky outcrop in the Flinders Ranges. The painting also won the best oil/acrylic award.
Ms Knight said that the landscape colours in the Australian bush were unique and said that the artist had captured the very essence of that vision.
Nancy Thurlby’s picture, The Scrum, won the pastel/drawing prize for artwork showing “a lot of passion.”
A picture of a wool basket, by Mary Briggs, was highly commended.
The best watercolour was a picture of a magpie by Hiroko Wyatt, described by the judge as a “feel-good” picture.
Caroline Marrone and Joel Magpayo were each highly commended in this section.
Lynette Palmer won the other medium section with a lino cut depicting four views of Japan.
Kerang artist, Danida Heitbaum-Ferres won the mixed medium with a fantasy theme.
The judge said that her work exhibited “a lot of feeling.”
Another local artist, Rhonda Willoughby, won the regional encouragement award with Winter’s Wonderland, a watercolour.
The local art peoples’ award was presented for the first time. The majority of show patrons voted for Carol Dove’s picture, My Story, a vote ahead of Danida Heitbaum-Ferres and Rhonda Willoughby.
