By KATH GANNAWAY
PETER Quarry has won the 2013 Upper Yarra Artisans Visage portrait exhibition prize with a portrait of fellow Warburton artist Helen Homewood.
The Visage exhibition was officially launched in Friday night at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre with artists and photographers capturing local people in a range of styles and media.
Mr Quarry, took up painting when he moved to Warburton some years ago. Now living in Melbourne, he returns each week to continue his painting at Ms Homewood’s studio where he painted the winning portrait Helen at Night.
Ms Homewood said Mr Quarry loves the expressive form of painting and the judges loved it too, observing he had captured in the eyes a sense of expectation, that she was on the verge of doing something – cry, laugh, move.
“It’s very expressive, and I like that too,” she said.
Although Mr Quarry was unable to accept the prize personally, he gave an insight into his interpretation with a description of Ms Homewood as “… a creature of the night and a well-known and loved Warburton phenomenon”.
“Look out for her on a moonless night” he added.
“Good” she said, in response to the observation that it made her sound a little dangerous!
Second prize in the open went to Kate Paton with her portrait of Betty Thurlow, and third to Lucinda Burnie with Brother…
In the photography section, Kate Baker won with ‘Indigo’s Journal’ and Suyin Chan was awarded second prize for The Hermit.
The under-21 section went to Sarah Bamford with Wildlife in Suburbia.
UYA president Annie Finch said the event was a great success with some wonderful portraits and the standard of the work improving each year.
She thanked judge, contemporary artist Janine Good, and the sponsors including major sponsor Warburton/Yarra Junction Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank.
The Visage exhibition is on show at Upper Yarra Art Centre until 10 October.
