Story Writing and Art Competition SWAC - Art Results

2007 Art results

Oils-Novice | Oils-Advanced | Other Media - Novice | Other Media - Experienced | All Media - Advanced

Art Judge: Christine Wrest-Smith
In 2000, Christine was elected to the Council of the Victorian Artists’ Society. Christine has been a drawing tutor and teacher of life drawing at the Centre for Adult Education, and is still currently teaching drawing and holding regular life drawing workshops at the Victorian Artists’ Society.
Christine was the winner of the 2002 Artist of the Year at the Victorian Artists’ Society. She has a B.F.A Hons. with Monash University, and is a regular entrant in the Archibald Prize. Christine has had many notable portrait commissions and her works are held in corporate and overseas collections..

2A Oils - Novice

View winning entries for 2A and 2B (160KB PDF)

1st Prize
Bruce Hill – Palm Valley
Bruce Hill served as a member of the RAAF Wireless unit just south of Darwin (near Batchelor). The bombings were still happening at the time his mobile unit arrived there from Townsville, where they set the camp up in the bush area. He first started painting when he retired in 1984 and was presented with a complete art set from his employer. Bruce attends a painting class each week and his instructor suggested he submit this and another entry.

2nd Prize
Anthony Stancombe – Hueys in Action in Vietnam 1969/1970
Anthony Stancombe served with the 21 Engineer Support troop (attached to 1 Field Squadron) in South Vietnam (Nui Dat) during 1969/1970. He is currently the Secretary of the Northern Districts TPI Social Club and a member of the TPI Art group. This is his third year with the TPI Art group, but his first year in the SWAC. The inspiration to create his entries is that all the artworks depict places he has been and he particularly wanted to catch the various colours of these areas.

3rd Prize
Heather McNeill – The Pastures of Plenty
Heather’s father – Hamish MacCallum served in Tobruk and New Guinea during WW2 in the Army, drawing maps in the Intelligence Unit. Heather started drawing as a child and has been painting since she was 30 years old when living on the farm. The inspiration for her entry was while working on the farm – she remembers the cattle and the sunset of light reflecting shadows around her.

The RAR Association Novice Award for a First Year Entrant in Painting – Runner up
Alwyn White – Billabong at Hervey Bay
Alwyn White’s husband – Christopher White served on HMAS Sydney in 1965. Alwyn first started painting in 2006, having never painted before and she enjoyed it immensely. The inspiration to create her entry was coming across this billabong while visiting Hervey Bay, its sheer beauty and tranquility encouraged her to paint it.

Honourable Mention:
Robert Heupt – Girl with a Pearl Earring
Lurlean Butcher – Haven of Peace

2B Oils - Experienced

View winning entries for 2A and 2B (160KB PDF)

1st Prize
Russell Halden – Grazing Sheep Winters Morning (near Ararat)
Russell Halden served in various capacities in the Army from 1972 and retired in 2002 with the rank of Captain. He first commenced painting in 2002 using water colours, but switched to oil paint soon after which he now prefers. He has never had any painting lessons, but likes to paint from photographs he has taken on his travels. He is currently a member of the Ringwood Art Society and attends the monthly meetings, to watch and listen to the guest artists description of their techniques.

2nd Prize
Keith Nihill – San Marco Piazza, Venezia
Keith Nihill served in the 14th National Service Training Battalion from 1955 to 1957. He commenced painting around 1989. Keith spent several months in Italy painting as much as he could, especially when visiting in Venice. The inspiration to create his entry was viewing the historic and magnificent San Marco Piazza in Venice.

3rd Prize
Robert Macaulay – Grand Ridge Road - A View at Every Bend
Robert’s father – James Macaulay served with the NZ Army in France and Belgium. Robert’s military involvement occurred while at high school, where he held the rank of Platoon Commander of the Air Training Corp platoon for over two years. He first became interested in oil painting in his late 20’s. The inspiration for this entry was his enjoyment of painting landscapes, especially when there is something worthy of capturing by brush or pencil. “There are so many wonderful scenes along the Grand Ridge Road in Gippsland”, he says.

Honourable Mention:
George Broadhurst – Evening Glow
Bette Franke – Mountain Monarch
Olivia Gannon – Captain Cook’s Cottage
Keith Nihill – Bendigo After Rain

2C Other Media - Novice

View winning entries (166KB PDF)

1st Prize
Deirdre Kelleher – Intensity
Deirdre’s father – David Kelleher served with the 121 Sig Squadron in Singapore, Malaya and Borneo. Her mum is a very active member of Partners of Veterans Australia (PVA), as founding State Secretary. Deirdre started drawing in August 2006 with coloured pencils and has recently started her first oil painting. The inspiration to create this entry was from her desire and special interest in big cats.

2nd Prize
Dorothy Cuming – Summer 2007
Dorothy’s father – James Wight enlisted in the Army in 1916 and discharged in 1918 as a Lance Corporal. He served in France during WW1. Dorothy first started painting about 15 years ago in Oils and then started watercolours about 6 years ago. The inspiration for her entry were the terrible fires in 2006/2007, particularly relating to the fires she experienced in Gippsland in the 1940’s as a young girl.

3rd Prize
Anthony Stancombe – Bathurst Lighthouse - Rottnest Island
Anthony Stancombe served with the 21 Engineer Support troop (attached to 1 Field Squadron) in South Vietnam (Nui Dat) during 1969/1970. He is currently the Secretary of the Northern Districts TPI Social Club and a member of the TPI Art group. This is his third year with the TPI Art group, but his first year in the SWAC. The inspiration to create his entries is that all the artworks depict places he has been and he particularly wanted to catch the various colours of these areas.

The RAR Association Novice Award for a First Year Entrant in Painting
Amy Christensen – Vietnam Reflections
Amy’s father – Peter Christensen served with the 1st Platoon, A Coy, 7 RAR in Vietnam during 1967/1968. Amy first commenced painting more seriously in her final years of high school. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Visual Art at Monash University. The inspiration for her entry was related to an endless array of photographs taken during her dad’s time in Vietnam, otherwise they would have been forgotten.

Honourable Mentions:
Maeve Blackburn – Pair of Outback Country Queensland
Winsome Crewe – Autumn Vineyard
Leila Shaw – Hastings Bush Nursing Hospital - 1932

2D Other Media - Experienced

View winning entries for 2D and 2E (153KB PDF)

1st Prize
Maureen Norris – Snowed In
Maureen is a member of the veteran community through her husband Trevor, who served in the reserve of the RAAF. A retired Registered Nurse, Maureen took up watercolour at the age of 54 for relaxation. She is currently a member of the Ringwood Art Society and the U3A Croydon Watercolour Art Group. Her paintings have sold steadily since 1997 through various exhibitions or commissions. The inspiration for her entry has been drawn from the tranquil magic of our snow fields.

2nd Prize
George Broadhurst – Vases and Fruit
George Broadhurst served with the Merchant Navy on Norwegian and American ships during 1943 to 1946. He first commenced art in 1997, and his inspiration to create this painting was simply a desire to learn and develop his art techniques.

3rd Prize
Norah Powell – Blue Creek
Norah’s husband – A.K. Powell was a Royal Marine Commando during the later stages of WW2. He served in India, Burma and Hong Kong. Norah emigrated to Australia in 1959 with her husband and two daughters. She started dabbling in painting in her 70’s, before her husband became ill and needed full time care. The inspiration to create this entry became a challenge to play around with ‘Wet on wet’.

Honourable Mentions:
Janice Harris – Onions and Garlic
Dulcie Holmes – Protea
Dorothy Smith - Beginnings

2E All Media - Advanced

View winning entries for 2D and 2E (153KB PDF)

1st Prize
Robert Wadsworth – Homeward Scene For A Country Track
Robert Wadsworth served with the 2nd Field Ambulance AIF, mainly in Western Australia and Darwin during WW2. He first commenced painting in the 1980’s and attended Clive Walsh’s watercolour classes at the Canterbury Memorial Homes. The inspiration to create his entry was due to winning first prize in SWAC 1986 for another entry, which is now displayed at the Balwyn RSL clubrooms.

2nd Prize
Jack Trawn – Relaxing on The Murray
Jack Trawn served in the RAN on HMAS Shropshire and spent time in Tokyo Bay as part of the Occupational Force. He began painting after he retired and his inspiration for painting started in Echuca. The inspiration for this entry was what he was doing at that time, which displays a good composition and makes a good painting.

3rd Prize
Alan Chawner – 1917 Australian Light Car Patrol Palestine
Alan enlisted with the Army in 1968 and was discharged in 1970. He has completed a Degree in Fine Arts at RMIT, majoring in sculpture, and a Diploma of Education. Alan was a secondary school teacher in Fine Arts and Graphics for 25 years. He first commenced his talents within the arts aged 6, and was encouraged to pursue sculpture, drawing and painting. Alan is primarily an animal artist, who is also very interested in history. His entry was inspired using the combination of these two elements, and his fascination of the Light Horse Regiments of the first World War.

Regular Defence Force Welfare Association Viewers’ Choice Award – Art
Alan Chawner – 1917 Australian Light Car Patrol Palestine
(See biography above).

Honourable Mentions:
Ilma Duncan – Barque Kassa
Frank Merange – Badge of Service
Erif Vincent – Autumn Shadows - Montsalvat