Barbara Peake Prize for Best In Show
Winner
“First Snow”
by Margaret Picken
This painting of the first snow is a masterful study of atmosphere, and emotional nuance. With a minimalist winter palette, the artist captures the quiet drama of the season’s first transformation with a powerful sense of mood and spatial depth proving that less can truly be more. Every element feels essential, the composition is deeply evocative, and the overall effect is meditative and timeless.
Emerging Artist Prize
Winner
“Perseverance and Strength”
by ANnew
This dramatic painting draws the viewer’s attention with its balance of bold, contrasting yellows and deep darks. Further investigation provides a feast for the eye of fine, detailed brushwork indicating a high technical skill level. This is a striking and convincing work.
Highly Commended
“Hay”
by Jackson Adams
This cleverly constructed photograph offers more questions than answers. We are drawn in to the focal point, the two people. While the work is bathed in light it is the contrast to dark tree and base that makes us focus on the people and wonder about their interaction, their unfolding story.
Highly Commended
“Bowls”
by Julia Meere
There is a lovely harmony of cool blues and greens and grey in this work. It also serves to highlight the vibrancy of the lemon. It is a sensitive, nuanced study conveying the fragility and surface sheen of the bowls.
Best Other
Winner
“Bowl of River Red Gum”
by Harold Pinto
True celebration of natural beauty skilfully revealed. This bowl, crafted from River Red Gum burl, is both refined and respectful of the burl’s irregularities, a compelling fusion of a natural material, form, textures, and function made this bowl a winner.
Highly Commended
“Pair of Ceramic Bowls”
by Wendy Swan
This pair of ceramic vases is a striking example of balance between form and surface design. The elegant simplicity of the light background allows the expressive blue abstract detailing to take centre stage, creating a visually engaging contrast. The blue markings, painterly and intuitive, add energy and movement, giving each aesthetically designed vases a distinct presence.
Highly Commended
“Mountain Ash 09”
by Christine Goerner
This photograph of birch trees offers an arresting visual experience that invites slow looking. The composition plays beautifully with contrast and repetition, and the lightness of the birch trunks against the more subdued background with tonal range creates a rhythmic, almost graphic quality. The unique perspective of the vertical elements feel both intimate and powerful.
Best Acrylic
Winner
“Plums”
by Michele Zabalegui
A still life that evokes both beauty and presence. The form of each plum is rendered with sensitivity and precision, showcasing a keen observation of natural curvature and surface texture. The bowl and surrounding space are integrated thoughtfully, providing context and contrast that enhance the central focus.
Highly Commended
“Ovens River”
by Nancy Thurlby
This acrylic painting captivates bold and expressive use of contrasting autumn colours bringing energy and vibrancy to the entire composition. The background mountain and the reflections on the river create beautiful atmospheric depth enhancing this visually engaging and richly layered piece.
Highly Commended
“Chicken Soup”
by Sue Cook
This still life, portraying the humble ingredients of chicken soup, a quietly poetic work with the colour palette is elevated with a touch of humour added with the chicken in the pan appears very much alive. Both masterful in technique infuses with personality and a surprise.
Best Mixed Media
Winner
“Neighbourhood Calico”
by Virginia Hau
This is a lovely example of how small studies can carry great presence, with remarkable charm and sensitivity. The artist has distilled the essence of a sleeping cat in the garden into a few well-use of pen lines and gentle washes of colour, suggesting fur, leaves and the surrounding elements with strong sense of atmosphere and tranquillity.
Highly Commended
“Contemplation”
by Linda McEwan
Executed with restraint and sensitivity, this monochromatic watercolour portrait of a child demonstrates a deep understanding of tone, proportion, and mood. It’s a quietly powerful piece that speaks through nuance and intention. The embroidered flower detail attached to the dress adds unique, tactile focal point.
Highly Commended
“Under the Sea 11”
by Lilja Bauer
This abstract work bursts with energy and playful intention. The composition, anchored by strong vertical elements, explores texture and shape with great inventiveness. The warm yellow background provides a vibrant, cohesive foundation that unifies the diverse elements and enhances the sense of movement. Each form contributes to a dynamic rhythm and visual intrigue.
Best Watercolour
Winner
“Schnapper Point”
by Lianne Fritsch
This watercolour stands out for its sophisticated balance between structure and spontaneity. The interplay between control in rendering the boats and jetty – while allowing the reflections and foreground water to flow with a loose and expressive energy demonstrates both technical skill and masterful example of how watercolour can be both disciplined and free.
Highly Commended
“Hydrangea”
by Glenda King
The handling of detail is especially commendable – precise yet never overworked. There is a subtle sophistication in the way the hues shift from blue to green and blend, suggesting both depth and movement within the floral cluster of the blooms in light and shadow.
Highly Commended
“Iris 2 Pink”
by Jo Thorold
A beautiful, refined piece with delicate detail of the intricate structure of the single iris, a beautifully controlled use of transparency and layering.
Best Oil
Winner
“Sunny Morn at the Oval”
by Julie Wilson
Despite its modest size, this oil painting resonates with emotional clarity capturing a fleeting yet heartfelt moment of a dog at play on the oval. The composition anchored by the soft outlines of a church and trees in the background feels both intimate and expansive. Masterful brushwork and a finely tuned palette give the scene its atmospheric depth. A beautiful, quietly poignant work.
Highly Commended
“Lakeside Daylesford”
by Helen Graham
The two interconnected pairs in oil—one a view from the jetty and the other focused on the house nestled near the lakeside captured a harmonious visual dialogue between place and presence. The blues and the green hues are handled with sensitivity, both paintings offer a reflective perspective and immersive experience.
Highly Commended
“Morning Walk”
by Anne Hewett
This small oil painting offers a vibrant glimpse into a lush riverside setting, where rich varied green tones dominate the palette and guide the viewer’s eye toward a distant house—an effective focal point. The painting conveys a vivid atmosphere, and the lively brushwork enhances the sense of energy in the scene.
