TWO winning artists at the Chelsea Art Show, held over the long weekend, are Mentone Girls’ Secondary College student Hayley Thompson and underwater photographer John Joseph Baptista.
Hayley, 13, is making winning a habit: she has won her age group in the past three shows. Her latest entry is an acrylic painting of Ræv Skræv, the original name of Foxy Loxy in the Danish tale of Chicken Little.
Her dad, Dale, said the work was inspired by Hayley wanting to do another woodland character to go with her Pink Deer painting, titled Pink Patronum.
“She plans to do more paintings to form part of a collection of works in this style,” he said.
It’s a family affair, with her sister, Kirrah, 18, a repeat entrant in the photographic section.
Hayley won a $50 prize and $100 Bendigo Bank account, and capped off the day by selling her painting for $250. But there’s a minor catch: it’s to hang in the Aspendale Gardens’ branch for a week as part of the bank’s ongoing support for the Chelsea Art Show before it can be taken home by its new owner.
Mr Baptista’s shot “Sea Urchin” captured lots of attention – as well as the winner’s cheque of $1000 for best photograph.
The urchin was snapped in the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal at a depth of nine metres using a Nikon D90 camera with a macro 105mm lens and Nauticam housing.
The Edithvale resident is a keen Port Phillip Bay photographer, taking pictures off Mordialloc, Brighton, Rye, Mornington and Flinders.
His inaugural art show efforts were well rewarded with the first prize of $1000 – which he described as “fantastic” – and for selling two photographs for $950 and $900. The cost of framing and metallic backing paper ate into the profits, he said.
Mr Baptista has been taking photographs for 20 years but “seriously” for only four years. He has sold his works in England, Germany and Portugal.
The art show is a popular long weekend event in Chelsea, attracting 500 people to view its 500 works. About 16 per cent were sold raising $29,000, of which $12,000 will go to charities.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 15 June 2016
