Any Other Medium wins....

Pearl with "Out of the Violet and Blue" at the Wallaby Art and Jazz festival last night

I was absolutely thrilled and flattered to win first prize for one of my entries at the Wallaby Art and Jazz Festival last night. Wallabadah is a town a little smaller than Murrurundi about 45km further up the New England Highway towards Tamworth from our little village. For 3 years a committee of residents have been developing and running a wonderful event called the Wallaby Art and Jazz Festival. Last night people from the community and surrounding areas gathered for the art show immediately followed by live music from the DJ Gosper band.

I won first place in the section "Any Other Medium" and the grand prize of $1,000 for best in show, known as the "Ken Wilson Memorial Champion Painting". Tania Hartigan, one of the tireless workers on the Wallabadah Development Committee and daughter of the late Ken Wilson, very graciously awarded me the prize.

I was a little disappointed the 2 judges were unable to be present as I would have been very curious to ask them for a more in depth analysis of their choice! Of course, I'm so delighted to have this recognition! - I don't make that comment in any sort of a derisory way! Heavens forbid!!! It is just that as a textile artist, more often than not relegated to the "boonies" of  "other/textile medium",  I have learned to live with the reality that my unconventional medium of choice is frequently regarded more as a sideline novelty, not quite in the realm of serious/proper/respectable mediums like paint. After winning I was happy, elated and bemused to spend quite a lot of time explaining to people who suddenly had their curiousity piqued how I apply the surfaces and build up the images. So many people look without seeing because the medium simply cannot be contextualised within their personal understanding of what an artwork is.

So I truly feel I won more than acknowledgement, recognition and money last night. I feel I won over a few more people to "seeing" and possibly broadening their context and appreciation of what art can be.

Many thanks Wallabadah and the generous legacy of Ken Nelson!