Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery was filled with colour and conversation on Wednesday night (September 24), for the official opening of the Alexandra Blossom Festival with its Central Otago Art Society’s annual exhibition.

This year’s guest judge and exhibitor was Julie Greig, a pastelist who lives in the Maniototo, who picked Marie Reid-Beadle’s ‘Flight Training’ painting of tūī as the premier winner.

Runner-up was June Harris of Wānaka with her acrylic painting of a violinist, while local ceramicist Kathi McLean won the Elizabeth Stevens Memorial award with her fired stoneware.

Kathy Kerr of Cromwell won the ‘Black and White’ special category, and the two highly commended awards went to Keila Robin of Ettrick for her felted wool art, and Rachel van Soest of Rolleston.

Julie described the winning piece as a “stand out” painting with a confident use of colour and a fine finish.   

“The story is human,” she said of the tūī ducking and diving through the air under the guidance of a chief tūī dressed as a pilot, and standing on the thrust levers and controls of an aircraft.

Marie is a self taught artist who has lived in South Otago all her life and has been painting for over 20 years. Her subject choice is often birds and highland cattle, and she was also influenced by steampunk.

She said the kōwhai tree on her front porch was always filled with tūī fighting, and the birds she painted were also from her experiences of travelling around the south, to places such as Stewart island and Riverton.

This was the third award she had won this year, she said: “It has been a good year.”

The exhibition will be on for a few weeks and the People’s Choice award will be announced at another special event on Friday October 3.

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