Stavros Papantoniou shines in Goulburn Workers Annual Art Prize

His acrylic painting, Home Sweet Home, depicting two men living it rough, has won this year's best overall work in The Goulburn Workers Club Annual Art Prize.

The Prize, hosted by the Goulburn and District Art Society, was opened at the Workers Club on Friday and was on exhibition across the weekend.

READ MORE: Workers Club Art Prize is back

Mr Papantoniou, a Society member, has been an artist for 43 years. He moved to Goulburn eight years ago and became passionate about regional art.

He 'scooped the pool' on Friday, also placing second in the oil and watercolour/pen categories.

Mr Papantoniou described Home Sweet Home as one of his favourite paintings.

"I've been working on it for a long time and trying to make the statement about people living on the streets," he said.

"The idea is to focus public ambivalence on what homelessness is about...I love getting into characters and people who have worn out faces."

Mr Papantoniou said he witnessed many people living on the streets and drinking "orange flavoured metho" while he was attending art school in Paddington.

Judge, Canberra artist, Chan Dissanayake described it as a "beautiful, expressive impressionistic painting."

"The use of limited, muted and harmonious colour is impressive. The use of splashes of colour and variations is visually stimulating. (It's) well presented and framed," he stated.

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The major prize carried a $2500 winning cheque.

Mr Papantoniou said it was important to him to promote shows like Friday's because too often art was seen as elitist. He teaches art at Goulburn's Gallery on Track each week and wants more people to take up the craft.

The Art Prize attracted 210 entries from Goulburn and region. Thirty-one entrants were from Goulburn.

GDAS vice-president Alex Mortensen said the event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.

"The Annual Art Prize is by far the most important event each year and is a major cultural (fixture) for Goulburn," he said.

He thanked major sponsor, the Goulburn Workers Club, which had donated almost $20,000 since 2002. Goulburn Mulwaree Council, Mitre 10 and other smaller sponsors also supported the event, which carried $4000 in prizemoney.

Sonja Bowden took out the People's Choice award with her painting Purrfectly Comfortable.

Proceeds of a raffle conducted on the night went to the Crescent School for playground equipment.

Mr Mortensen also thanked the judges, including Peter Sykes, who assessed the digital arts section.

The results were:

Oil section

1 David Lake - Winter Past.

2 Stavros Papantoniou - Julie.

Commended - Sukhvinder Saggu - Two is Company.

Water colour/pen and ink

1 Felicitie Briggs - Papaver Somniferum Seed Pods.

2 Stavros Papantoniou - Giorgios at the Cafe.

Commended - Isla Patterson Winter at Perisher, NSW.

Acrylic section

1 Stavros Papantoniou - Home Sweet Home.

2 Katya Mortensen - Donkey Bride.

Commended - Jen White - Little Buddy Blue.

Drawing section (Francis Neville Newton Memorial Prize)

1 Sonja Bowden - Purrfectly Comfortable.

2 Katya Mortensen - Making Wish.

Commended Emma Llewelyn - Kelpie Puppies

Other media

1 Grace Paleg - Three Graces.

2 Sonja Bowden - Harnessed.

Commended - Geoffrey McLean - Yes, it's Wine.

Miniatures

Katya Mortensen - Game (acrylic).

Diana Garth - Living by the River (oil).

Commended - Roz Dibley Landscape 1 (pencil/ink.

Section G - GDAS members only

1 Sukhvinder Saggu - Still Life with Persimmons and Turquoise.

2 Amanda Zurek - Still Life at 7pm

Commended - Marion Schumacher - Tathra.

Photography and digital art

1 Wendy Smith - Light and Shade.

2 Sukhvinder Saggu - Belconnen Lake in Misty Morning.

Commended - Sukhvinder Saggu - Submerged Reflections.

Major prize

Stavros Papantoniou - Home Sweet Home.

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