Crying Eye (Painting category winner)

Painting

This painting depicts the artist's eye movements which were the only movements she had in the early days after a brain stem stroke left her paralysed at age 26.

She could only see the world in black and white.

The painting also shows the many tears shed, fear, sadness, uncertainty of the future, depression and the pure devastation of her tragic circumstances.

Rainbow Dandelion (Painting category winner)

Painting

The painting represents progression, regrowth, independence, finding your own path and a new beginning.

Rehabilitation became a huge part of the artist rebuilding her life. She slowly started enjoying life again and accepting herself.

She now sees the world in colour. Her passion for art started after a brainstem stroke. Her view is that something beautiful can come from a dark place.

Skull with Butterfly (Painting category winner)

Painting

This watercolour painting symbolises fighting death. The artist felt trapped in her own body like a butterfly wanting to fly, but unable to.

She saw death of who she was and of the entire life that she had built. The skull represents death. The butterfly symbolises hope, strength and determination.

A landscape (Highly commended: painting)

Painting

This oil painting is of a place the artist would like to visit. He doesn't know where it is but thought it looks interesting. The hills would be hard to walk up, but he would like to try. This painting took two and a half months to complete.

Country Road at Batlow (Highly commended: painting)

Painting

This painting gives the artist a feeling of freedom. He used a photograph for inspiration.

The oil painting uses colours that are soft and calming and took three months to complete.

If you look closely, this painting has texture with some raised areas.

Flowers in Pots (Highly commended: painting)

Painting

The artist likes Australian flowers and painted this picture of Australian flowers in pots during an art class.

For him, it was very hard to do and took three months to paint.

The hardest part was using a tiny brush to do the purple and blue colours.

Eric's Butcher Shop

Painting

Having an appreciation for architecture, this Queensland shopfront caught the artist's eye – reminding him of Eric the Butcher's shop at Como. The artist enjoys a sausage and believes Eric makes the best sausages.

Gilgandra

Painting

For the artist, his love of the bush comes from spending a lot of time with friends at Gilgandra. During that time, he would spend time working on tractors on their property.

He was a fitter and turner machinist. He has always been clever working with his hands, working on everything from cars, Caterpillar machinery, jumbo jets, building sheds and his own windmill to power the shed. His hobby was woodworking, working in his shed with the lathes and other machinery.

Sailing

Painting

The artist likes sailing on Sydney Harbour, working on boats and enjoying Como Marina. This drawing is of a beautiful boat that caught his eye.

Dream Waves

Painting

This work symbolises the artist connecting with mother nature via a water dreamscape.

Kin Gathering

Painting

This work demonstrates the interconnection of family and kin.

Sheep's Crossing

Painting

This work represents the Australian story with an appreciation of living and working the land.

Kickin' Up Dust on an Old Dirt Road

Painting

This work represents the artist's love of the feeling of being able to drive again after 12 months in hospital. Driving has given him his independence back.

Nick's Hotel: Stop for a Coldie

Painting

After a hard day the artist likes to stop, rest and have a cold drink. Day-to-day activities wear him out a lot due to his brain injury.

Stuff it! We'll walk

Painting

The artist's motto for this work is "When life gets tough, I don't give up but I find another way."

Champion Lady Warrior

Painting

This work is inspired by the movie, Gladiator, which the artist viewed during his journey at Royal Rehabilitation.

Noticing there were no female archers, he felt the need to present a lady who demonstrated exemplary heroic qualities. This work shows a heroic maiden - a female warrior - a heroine who has a positive association with cultural gender transgression.

Sydney Opera House Inspirational Reflections

Painting

In times of crisis, we turn to the arts.

For the artist, every time he sees the iconic curved white roof of the Sydney Opera House with its truly nautical design, it inspires and soothes him.

For him, art brings people together, inspires and soothes. The positive culture of the Sydney Opera House gives hope and reminds us we are not alone.

The Thinker

Painting

This artwork represents the artist himself, deep in thought, living with a traumatic brain injury. He lives with the reality of his condition.

Confusion

Painting

The work represents a lens of how the artist views the world after his traumatic brain injury. Inspiration is drawn from Australian First Nations art, which the artist describes as an affinity he feels.

Born in Sri Lanka the artist came to Australia when he was eight. A significant part of his heritage is Tamil, who are racially Dravidian people. The same DNA has been traced back around 5000 years in the First Nations people. This may explain part of the affinity he feels.

Mountain Range

Painting

This work brings together a vision about mountain ranges the artist had in his mind. It's all jumbled and confused, a mix of earthy colour.

The depth that developed if one looks at the contrasting colours is similar to the way that the artist can sometimes feel. We are all mountains bursting from the same earth.

The light

Painting

For the artist, orange is one of his favourite colours as it's so bright and vibrant. It makes him feel alive and also represents the Dutch part of his heritage. There are areas of darkness and light over time, he managed to confine them within boundaries.

He is learning to accept that there will always be dark areas in life and that we have a choice to focus on the light not the darkness.

True Love (Photography and digital category winner)

Photography and Digital

The artist suffered a severe traumatic brain injury 20 years ago. He struggled to find a way to express himself.

His love of art proved to be a wonderful way to create something that challenged him and gave him so much satisfaction. This collage, created for his wife, is evidence that love shines through.

Boat Sunset

Photography and Digital

This image shows the artist's holiday home away from home.

He is watching the sunset on a peaceful afternoon from a beautiful position without a care in the world.

Planting the Future

Photography and Digital

A man and his wife on the land just finished planting his dreams, not knowing what the future will hold in store for him and his family.

Tree Sunset

Photography and Digital

The artist took this photo from the back door step of his house while he was watching the sun set over the hill.

He was thinking about all of his forefathers that lost their lives, like this tree fighting a war trying to save this beautiful land of Australia.

Lest we forget.

Kiss

Photography and Digital

This photo was taken days after the artist had an accident in 2008. For him, it is a very raw yet powerful image.

Indian Minor

Photography and Digital

The Indian myna is a bird found almost everywhere in NSW. The small bird never stops moving around.

This bird sounds amazing too, you can hear it singing all the time.

The picture was taken while the bird was taking off.

Pigeon in action

Photography and Digital

The picture is of a pigeon flying freely over Chipping Norton Lake, on a cloudy day.

The pigeon was flying in circles around the artist, potentially looking for food.

Rainbow Lorikeet

Photography and Digital

The artist finds the rainbow lorikeet to be a really colourful and clean-looking bird.

The image shows one of the birds inside the gutter that is filled with water.

Can You Find Right Way Up in Upside Down Situations?

Photography and Digital

The artists explores old passions and searching for beauty in a backwards contemporary world, two and a half years after a car accident which resulted in a traumatic brain injury.

Sun Stars at Nobbies

Photography and Digital

Sometimes, before we are truly awake, the eye beholds magic and elusive reciprocals at dawn.

Turning My Luck Upside Down

Photography and Digital

In 2017, the artist experienced a high-speed head-on car accident, where he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. He was 20 at the time.

This picture is significant in that it resembles an almost full recovery from the implications of what could have been a debilitating injury.

Not only being able to walk again, but to live autonomously enough to be able to imagine and seek the construction of beautiful art like this is something the artist is proud of.

April is the Cruelest Month (Overall winner)

Drawing

"April is the Cruelest Month" is the opening line of the T.S Eliot poem "The Waste Land". The artist uses this as a metaphor for how life feels following a car accident. The coloured sections represent different aspects of the artist's life since the accident including their physical and emotional health.

Adele

Drawing

A realistic drawing of pop artist Adele.

Morgan Freeman

Drawing

A realistic drawing of Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman.

The Beatles

Drawing

A realistic drawing of iconic rock band The Beatles.

The All Seeing Eye (Highly commended for portfolio of work)

Drawing

Eye in the mid ground contains all things the artist strived for: win a race, be successful, have strong relationships.

He describes outside as the harsh reality she is facing: a hostile environment in the desert, carnivores ready to attack at any moment, and a destroyed bridge making her journey even harder to achieve.

The Darkness Within (Highly commended for portfolio of work)

Drawing

The self-portrait shows the lamp near the artist turned off. He is left in the gloomy, uncertain future. The source of light is a long way ahead. A 'road closed' sign blocks his path making it near impossible to achieve what he strives for. The clock's ticking and he is desperately waiting for help.

The Marathon of Life (Highly commended for portfolio of work)

Drawing

The artist believes we have our inner demons that we desperately try to run away from.

This continuous race may lead us down a dangerous road.

Sometimes we succeed and learn from our mistakes, other times we fall into deep depression.

Koala family

Drawing

This work aims to capture the cute look and texture of a koala's fur.

Using a pencil to outline the koala on A3 paper, the artist painted with reference to other works.

Music Loves Me

Drawing

This work is painted with reference to other works.

The painting retains the liveliness and agility of the woman's arms from the original artwork and accentuates her intoxication as she loses herself in her music.

The work was completed using acrylic materials on a 61 x 91 centimetres canvas board.

The lighthouse

Drawing

This work is painted with reference to other works.

The huge waves formed by the swathes of white in the centre of the original work left a deep impression on him.

He referred to the original work and used acrylic materials to complete this work on a 61 x 91 centimetres canvas board.

Keep your eyes to your self (Drawing category winner)

Drawing

The artist describes her recovery as slow and extremely micromanaged.

"Keep your eyes to your self" represents her dislike of being the centre of all discussions and conversations.

Night Light

Sculpture and 3D

This piece uses driftwood found at the local beach, held with a macramé cord made by the artist to hold glass jars.

Shell windchime

Sculpture and 3D

This piece uses two rings - one small, one large - to hold together a collection of shells collected by the artist.

Wall Hanging

Sculpture and 3D

This work is inspired by the artist's love of bohemian style beach living. Beautiful shells were collected from the beach and drilled into attachments with support from the artist's father.

How I feel (depending on the day) (Highly commended for portfolio of work)

Sculpture and 3D

During rehab following a car accident the artist relearnt how to walk and talk, as well as how to hand build with clay, which she had previously studied at university.

She spends her time making ceramics both as therapy and for enjoyment. She focuses on the unique form and beauty of irregular shapes.

How I hope to feel (Highly commended for portfolio of work)

Sculpture and 3D

During rehab following a car accident the artist relearnt how to walk and talk as well as how to hand build with clay, which she had previously studied at university.

She spends her time making ceramics both as therapy and for enjoyment. She focuses on the unique form and beauty of irregular shapes.

Sometimes I feel (Highly commended for portfolio of work)

Sculpture and 3D

During rehab following a car accident the artist relearnt how to walk and talk as well as how to hand build with clay, which she had previously studied at university.

She spends her time making ceramics both as therapy and for enjoyment. She focuses on the unique form and beauty of irregular shapes.

Where's all my homes gone (Sculpture and 3D category winner)

Sculpture and 3D

This abstract piece named 'Where's all my homes gone' is the artist's tribute to the NSW bushfires and his like of cutting opal. He lost his home in the bushfires and had been thinking about the animals that were killed in the fires, especially the koalas.

Macrocarpa

Sculpture and 3D

The artists used terracotta clay and moulded it around a tree trunk then fired and glazed with a Shino glaze in Cacao Matte.

Peppercorns and Celery Seeds

Sculpture and 3D

Earthenware base clay. The artist dreamt of using peppercorns and celery seeds for texture with a sprinkle of colour oxide and then finished with a Duncan crystal glaze in African Savanna.

Sea Leaf

Sculpture and 3D

The artists started with earthenware clay and moulded it into a leaf-shaped bowl. This was finished with a Duncan crystal glaze in Tahiti Grape.

Humcat (Highly commended: children)

Children

This child's drawing is inspired by the artist's favourite animal, the cat, made half human. "I hope you like it because I love it."