Ready, set, paint as artists do battle
A budding group of artists in Christchurch have painted frantically in front of a live crowd for 20 minutes in a bid for the prize title of best painting.
Art Battle came to Christchurch for the first time on Sunday. It featured 12 competing local and international artists including Andrew Bond, Stephanie Crisp, Barbi Larkins, and accomplished Russian tattoo artist Nick Morte.
The live painting competition already has a devoted group of followers in the 50 cities it has visited around the world.
With 20 minutes to paint a picture before audiences vote for the winner, the creative group have fans and critics peering over their shoulders as they coat their canvases with lashings of colour.
New Zealand artist Sue Currie’s landscape of hills in autumn hues took out the top title.
Organiser Janet McDermid said she was thrilled with the ‘‘stunning’’ results.
‘‘It blows me away that the artists were brave enough to come and step up and do what they do in 20 minutes.
‘‘We sold all the artwork for very good prices so it was a wonderful success.’’
The artwork was available to purchase through silent auction, with proceeds going to Just Peoples, an organisation working to solve poverty through locally run micro-projects. The funds would support a Kenyan woman, who has developed a commercial water filter using charcoal and cotton wool. She needed $778 to pay for enough systems for 40 families in the Kajiado district and one community education session about the importance of clean water.
About 56 per cent of Kenya’s population do not have access to clean water and 80 per cent of all diagnosed diseases are waterborne. ‘‘Knowing the serious health issues the Kajiado community faces, I can’t sit back and let them go without clean water any longer,’’ she said.
McDermid said more than $10,000 was raised.
A Christchurch City Council statement said the event had the potential to become an annual, inter-regional and national competition. The next Art Battle will be held in Canada, on Thursday.