Winsor and Newton Opera Rose Painting Competition 2008
Winsor and Newton is delighted to announce the winners of the recent Opera Rose Artists’ Water Colour Painting Competition in Australia. We received an overwhelming number of entries showcasing how passionate people are about the shockingly bright Opera Rose colour. It was a very tough decision for our judges to finalise the winners. The quality of artworks and range of styles submitted was astounding. Winsor & Newton would like to thank every person who created such magnificent artworks to enter our competition. Once again congratulations to the winners and finalists. We hope you enjoy their artworks!
Opera Rose Competition Winners – Judges Comments:
1st Prize- Sue Ninham, “Opera Rose Daydream”
1st Prize- Sue Ninham, “Opera Rose Daydream”
Initially, what is so striking about this work is its appearance of simplicity and sense of the accidental line, and yet on closer inspection the artwork reveals an incredible understanding of colour. The composition and the subtleties of transparency in water colours are remarkable. Ninham has used Opera Rose not merely for the purposes of the competition but as an inherent element of the artwork, whereby each colour within the composition relate to each other. The Opera Rose colour within the artwork exemplifies the incredible strength & luminosity of this unique Artists’ Water Colour from Winsor & Newton.
2nd Prize- Tracy Gordon, “Blackwattle Twilight”
Tracy Gordon’s artwork is another fine example of the Opera Rose colour. Gordon exposes the strength and softness possible with Opera Rose to create a mysterious landscape. The contrasts of light in this work creates drama and ambience, by use of spontaneous merging of rose, violet and crimson colours.
After working professionally as a publishing and advertising illustrator for fifteen years, Sue Ninham became a full - time artist in 2001.
Working with both oils and water colours initially, Ninham's paintings sprang from a need for creative freedom not found as a designer. Drawn to the 1950's for her inspiration, having spent childhood summers in her grandparent's purpose built 50's house, memories of space - age, splay - legged furniture, Parisian - scened feature walls, fold - away record players, patterned curtains and crazy paving imbued her work with a playful optimism.
2nd Prize- Tracy Gordon, “Blackwattle Twilight”
Constantly evolving, her work now borrows less directly from those themes and is becoming more of an expression of her passion for painting.
"Opera Rose Daydream" expresses her love for colour. She always uses Winsor and Newton water colours because of their clarity and purity. In this particular work she has used Opera Rose without mixing it with any other colour, with a desire to express its electric, playful energy.
Sue lives and works in Adelaide and has work in collections and galleries both nationally and internationally.
Tracy Gordon has been painting, drawing, and dabbling in things creative, for as long as she can remember. However, only began to consider it seriously a few years ago, when an injury rendered her temporarily immobile. During this time of ‘in-cast-eration’, Gordon experimented for the first time, with water colours, and instantly fell in love with the medium’s untamed spontaneity and it’s endless variety of responses to her endeavours.
“It is such a delightful contrast to the rigid discipline and predictability of many mediums”, says Gordon. Since that beginning, Gordon has exhibited successfully at many regional and interstate shows and had sales Australia wide and in New Zealand.
 John Ainsworth - Charlene |
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 Graeme Whittle - Harbour View |
John Ainsworth, (WA), earned a highly commended accolade from the judges for his portrait titled "Charlene".
Graeme Whittle's, (TAS), beautiful harbour view, which makes you feel like you're sitting by the bay, also received a highly commended accolade from the judges.