Leongatha Art & Photography Show launches

LEONGATHA Rotary Club’s Art & Photography show kicked off on Friday night at the town’s Memorial Hall, with the painting ‘Charles Bridge Prague’ by Langwarrin’s Glenn Hoyle taking out Best in Show.

While unfortunately the artist wasn’t present, judge Kerry Spokes summed up why his work was chosen after it caught her eye despite being hung in a spot where many may have missed it.

“This acrylic painting really did take my breath away, and throughout the judging process I kept coming back to the foyer to view this work; this beautiful painting has such fantastic contrast and interest, with the buildings receding in the background and the sentinels on the bridge,” she said.

Kerry noted the highlights on the people, the soft shadows cast and the beautiful light dancing on the brick paving, remarking that all these factors contribute to the work’s status as Best in Show.

This year, the awards were presented in a separate room rather than on the Memorial Hall stage, enabling many of the audience members to be seated, with the artworks that won various categories displayed as they were announced.

One of the show’s hangers, Bob Hickman, added to the entertainment as he raced to return winning pieces to their rightful spots in the hall, remarking in mock horror at the large size of some works.

Kerry declared she won’t be available for judging duties next year, planning to enter the 50^th Leongatha Art & Photography Show.

Living and working in South Gippsland, with a studio near Foster, she is a passionate advocate for the local arts sector, her current work using monoprint techniques and exploring the elements and their interaction with the landscape.

Responsible for judging all the non-photographic categories, she acknowledged it was a challenging task, although one she clearly enjoyed.

Mark Jones, who has over 30 years’ experience in photographic work judged the best Colour, Black and White, and Digitally Modified photo categories.

He spoke of the significance of the photography section and the contribution of those who entered.

“Photography has been a bit of a dying art with the advent of mobile phones but it’s really important to see people still contributing and it doesn’t matter whether you get the best photo tonight or not, this is about the fact that you’ve chosen to enter,” Mark said.

Gary Beresford’s ‘The Morning Wren’ took out the Digitally Modified section.

The judge found the composition well balanced and the wren a point of interest but not a distraction.

“I wanted something at the end of the leading line so I put the wren there,” Korumburra’s Gary said after the judging, having begun modifying his photos long ago with an early version of Photoshop.

Boolarra’s Sherie Howard won the Best Colour category with her photo ‘Blue Heaven’.

“I was looking for light, shade, and definition,” Mark said, noting Sherie’s work had all of that and captured the power and emotion of the waves, the light through the seawater bringing different tones of blue.

Sherie told the Sentinel-Times “I’ve never come across colour like that before.”

Impressively, the stunning image was taken without a tripod when it was blowing a gale.

Best Black and White (Monochrome) was claimed by Julie Gilbert of Tyers, for ‘Elegance’.

“Monochrome is an art of its own because you rely on light, shade and tone to add definition and impact, and I found this image had all of these aspects as well as a sense of mystery, with the subject’s face partially hidden and looking at the unknown,” Mark said.

The subject is Julie’s Granddaughter, the photographer having made the outfit in which she modelled, in this instance inspired by a steampunk theme.

Julie explained she likes to use a dark backdrop and to direct the light where she wants it.

“I love making the costumes as much as taking the photos,” she said.

Sentinel-Times caught up with Maureen Harley who claimed the Best Watercolour with her work Pinehaven Woolshed, the painting depicting a scene in Woodside.

She was excited to go one better than last year when she earned a Highly Commended.

“To get this at this show is a real hoot,” she said.

With the award being the Richard Pegler Memorial Best Watercolour, the success was all the more meaningful for Maureen who used to work for Richard at Cash’s Weaving.

Prior to the judging, Sentinel-Times met Stephanie Murdoch whose ‘The Fancy Two Tailed Cat’ went on to take out the All Abilities section for those aged over 18, her work entered through Yooralla.

There are too many categories to detail in what is another display of artistic diversity, the maximum number of 650 works entered.

The Art & Photography Show is open daily from 10am until 4pm at Leongatha Memorial Hall, with adult entry costing just $5 and almost all works available for sale, proceeds supporting artists and Rotary projects.