Artist puts his dad in the picture (From St Helens Star)
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Winner of St Helens Open Art prize puts dad in the picture
11:54am Thursday 18th October 2012 in News
Stephen Brown is congratulated by Deputy Mayor of St Helens, Councillor Andy Bowden
AN artist has his dad to thank for helping him pick up top prize in the town’s biggest art awards.
Stephen Brown’s oil paint on linen portrait – titled Dad – won acclaim from judges and earned him the lion’s share of the £2,000 prize in this year’s St Helens Open Art Competition.
Second prize went to Peter Drought with his black and white Langdale Pikes photograph, while Richard Stinton’s oil on canvas painting, Sara Smile, took third place.
More than 150 artists submitted 240 art works for the event, the best of which will be showcased at an exhibition in the World of Glass until 17 November.
This year’s competition attracted more young artists, with organisers seeing a corresponding increase in the volume of high quality 3D work.
The competition was open to all levels of ability, from amateur artists to art students and professionals, aged 16 up. All art disciplines are represented, including ceramics, digital, drawing, glass, mixed media, painting, photography, needlework and sculpture.
The annual competition, organised by St Helens Council’s Arts Service, has a new home this year.
It moved to the larger World of Glass venue, where the exhibition will be housed across all gallery spaces including Gallery One, Level One and on the mezzanine floor The Godfrey Pilkington Art Gallery.
Category prize winners were: Portrait – Laura E Quinn (Self Portrait); Landscape – Rita Jolley (View to Caleb’s Wood); Drawing – Steven A Douras (George); Digital – Gareth Jackson (6148 Painting in Sequential Order); Abstract – Barry Cooper (Wheel); Olympics/Celebration – Adrian Massey (The Old Olympians).
Highly commended prizes went to: Kerry Lisa Davies (Piering Through the Light); George Drought (11-11); Alan Greenough (Walking the Dog Behind St Marks); Carol Miller (Landscape 40); Denise Dent (Raising the Surface); William Birchall (Maybe Todd Browning had a Point); Genevieve Pennington ( Bright Eyes); Keith Bentham (Swedish Horses).
Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to vote for their winning piece in the St Helens Star People’s Choice Award.
