Artist delighted to win top award
JUST before the gingko tree loses its leaves, it turns a splendid yellow that, according to Toowoomba artist Diana Battle, is “just amazing”.
That tree was the inspiration for her painting The Gingko Tree, which won the Anne and Fred Gardiner Award at the Toowoomba Art Society’s recent Annual Members Exhibition.
Mrs Battle painted the piece in August, after her solo exhibition at the Toowoomba Repertory Theatre, for the members exhibition.
“I painted it in my own style, semi-abstract, but it was in portrait form and still had my interpretation of the botanic gardens and the bird lead into it,” she said.
Mrs Battle said the late Anne and Fred Gardiner were very special people to the Toowoomba Art Society community (they built and operated Toowoomba’s first commercial art gallery, the Tia Gallery, on Carrington Rd) and she was delighted to have won an award in their name.
Other winners at the exhibition included Van Howell, who won the Nancy Culliford Prize, William Church who won the Harry Hart Award and Maree Cameron who won the Patron’s Choice award.
Works by Robyn Gray and Ian Hay received Highly Commendeds, whicle works by Carol McCormack and Sue Dowe received Commendeds.
Sandra Jarrett, an art teacher at St Ursula’s College and artist, and Simon Mee, the University of Southern Queensland visual arts lecturer, were the judges.
The exhibition is on display at Culliford House in Godsall St, Toowoomba, until October 1.
During the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, it will be open from 10am to 4pm daily (September 16 to 24) and then the regular hours of 9am to noon Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturday and Sunday.