Competition Finalists
WINNING ENTRY
Name: H.Reed
Title: Joy
Medium: Acrylic painting on wooden panel 30 cms square
Description:
A painting representing the joy of seeds!
My gift to future ancestors would be seeds! Seeds are love, potential, and nourishment. A tiny seed is easily shared and will transform into food and beauty or both! It’s a gift of love and sustainability. I imagine conversations around abundance and joy, advice for seed saving, storing, and growing, and networks for sharing seeds freely.
Growing food and flowers is empowering, improves health and well-being and brings people together in community so I would advocate for seed banks, education, knowledge and seed sharing now as this information will be vital for future generations as we move through climate uncertainty and corporate seed licencing.
Runner up
Name: S.White
Title: Severn Reflections II
Medium: Severn Reflections II 570x760mm Acrylic on paper
Description:
The Severn, a metaphor for life - reflections and memory, flow and continuity, vital for a sustainable future.
Finalist
Name: I.Barratt
Title: Tawny Mushrooms
Medium: Textile design
Description:
A celebration of the magnificent mushroom! These guys could change the world. From mycelium to magic, earth changing to mind changing. Surely these incredible organisms have a place in our future and could, in many ways, hold the key to a more sustainable and happy future. This design preserves the beauty and fragility of mushrooms and fungi, in the form of a fabric design. This print was painted by hand using gouache paints, digitally constructed into a half drop repeat using Photoshop and intends to be printed onto a linen.
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Finalist
Name: M.Bird
Title: D is for... R was for...
Medium: Oil Pastel, Collage & Gold Leaf
Description:
Focusing on drawing, line and colour, this diptych aims to communicate cause and effect in regards to environmental issues and damage. The style is deliberately naive and replicates my usual way of drawing but on this occasion the childlike quality emphasises the seriousness and implications of our reckless decision making. The gold leaf on recycled card, hopefully makes the scrap material something of value as well.
Finalist
Name: I.Peacock
Title: Postcard
Medium: Archival print
Description:
A page from a future postcard album.
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Finalist
Name: MJ. Ryle
Title: Pandemonium
Medium: Oil Painting
Description:
This painting is a love letter, a plea, and a prayer. Each element carries a part of its message. The flowers and bees represent the delicate beauty of nature which we’ve taken for granted. The hourglass warns us that time is running out to protect what we hold dear. The melting toy soldiers symbolise our history of conflict. Their distorted plastic forms represent not only the scars of war but also the effects of an ever-changing climate - both of which have reshaped our present world. The box is a modern reference to Pandora’s box and it holds a hand-mirror which reflects the future we fear - absence and fire. The pearls spilling out signify our greed and consumerism which continue to be the driving forces behind much of the harm we have caused. And yet, the key offers a glimmer of hope. It’s a nod to our ability to unlock the future where we can make different choices. A future where our destructive patterns are replaced by care and balance. It is a reminder that it’s not too late to change our course. Dear future, this painting carries my wish for you. That we may learn from our past and act with intention to protect the beauty of nature for generations to come.
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Finalist
Name: A.Swannick
Title: Paper Boat
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Description:
A still life containing symbolic objects in the Dutch vanitas style. A visual representation of what we have, what we might lose and what we hope to keep.
Finalist
Name: S.Kowenicki
Title: Take-away Fish Supper
Medium: Original lino print
Description:
Inspired by a trip to Canada, this black bear pictured on Vancouver Island has caught his fishy supper. Black bears are a popular attraction for tourists and locals on Vancouver Island, and bear watching tours are a popular activity. However, conflicts with humans can arise when bears become dependent on human food sources, such as garbage, fruit, and beehives so bins are "bear-proof" and when wild camping we had to tie all our food up high hanging from trees, well out of bears' reach so that we can keep them on their traditional fish take-aways rather than ours! We can admire nature and marvel at it, but we have a huge responsibility to minimise our impact on it.
Finalist
Name: L.Baily
Title: 1.0
Medium: Spoken word / Poetry
Description:
1.0 is a poem that explores the idea of the 2.4 nuclear family as a set of social values. In a society where more people by choice or otherwise are having fewer children, how can we celebrate and be more socially inclusive to those who live alone or do not have children. I hope for a future where every individual is celebrated and included.
Finalist