Winners Announced in Australia's Biggest Art Prize

"This recognition means more to me than words can express, as it symbolises a journey filled with challenges and growth... Over the past two years, I faced a significant health battle, a formidable adversary that tested my resilience and determination. In the midst of this adversity, I found the courage, the necessary space, and the time to fully immerse myself in my artistic endeavours. This award truly is a testament to the power of resilience and the beauty of following your calling. It reinforced my belief that even in the most trying moments of life, there exists a guiding light that leads us to our true purpose," said Ellie Sutton, the Bluethumb Art Prize 2023 overall winner.

Sutton, a newcomer to the art world, received $5,000 for winning the Abstract Category Award and $50,000 as the Bluethumb Art Prize 2023 overall winner. She is also in the running to win an additional $15,000 with voting still open for the People's Choice Award, with the winner announced on Thursday 9 November.

The rich brown coiling lines in Sutton's award-winning work, Serpent's Coil, are reminiscent of earthy colours and textured tree bark. It evokes a primal connection to nature and invites viewers to reflect on the cyclical patterns of life. "Some lines are delicate; others are bold. All seem to hold secrets, whispering tales of this work's hidden depths and subtle emotions," Sutton explains.

"Serpent's Coil is a visual journey, an exploration of movement, balance, and symbolism. This symbolism intertwines the mystique of serpents with the beauty of abstract expression. It beckons observers to explore the duality of darkness and light," said Sutton.

A talented mix of Artists and Design Industry professionals judged this year's prize. The panel included Bluethumb Art Prize 2022 overall winner Lauren Starr; top-selling Indigenous Artist Karen Lee Mungarrja; Kate Gordon, the Creative Director of iconic Australian family-owned Robert Gordon Pottery; Interior Designer and Director of TLC Interiors Chris Carroll; and

National Magazine Editor of Domain Natalie Mortimer; Bluethumb cofounders and brothers Edward and George Hartley.

Bluethumb received an astonishing 8,000+ entries, whittled down to 350 finalists across several categories, including the special Founder's Award. Each category winner received $5,000, with a total of $100,000 awarded to artists by Australia's largest online art gallery.

"Our mission when we started Bluethumb in 2012 was to build technology that would liberate artists by growing their platform, enabling them to sell more art. We've hit $80M in art sold by Bluethumb artists, but more important is the growing number of artists who are able to quit their jobs and do art full-time because of Bluethumb. Our art prize is a key way that we acknowledge the amazing art on our site and involve our collectors in finding the most popular artwork in Australia. We're on track for a record 30,000 votes in this year's People's Choice, which will make it the world's greatest art democracy," said George Hartley.

The Bluethumb Art Prize is free to enter, and awards were announced on Thursday (October 26) at the Bluethumb Art Gallery in Richmond.

Judge Kate Gordon described the overall winning artwork as having "Glorious muddy, earthy colours, entwined and tangled, with movement and rhythm." The abstract award category is highly competitive and received over 2,500 entries this year.

The winners were:

Overall & Abstract Ellie Sutton Serpent's Coil, Blue Mountains, NSW

Photography Natalie Finney Blackwater - Emerge, Melbourne, Victoria

Still Life Jessica Guthrie Plants Taste Better, Sydney, NSW

Landscape & Wildlife Sara Roberts Bring Me A Higher Love, Shoalhaven Heads, NSW

Portrait Joshua Miels Galvanize, Adelaide, South Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Jessica Begg Layers 05, Moora, Western Australia

Founders Wendy Moore Arrangement With Purple, Teneriffe, Brisbane

Photography: Blackwater - Emerge by Natalie Finney

Melbourne photographer Natalie Finney has won the Bluethumb Art Prize Photography Category Award. Her photograph, titled Blackwater - Emerge, explores the fragility of youth and the precipice of teenhood.

"Piecing together fragments of memories from childhood and observing as my children navigate through their own, the images draw on themes of sanctity and transformation. They portray an angelic, dreamlike figure bathing in a pool of black water, glowing with flecks of fiery light, a hint to signs of the tempestuous hormone-driven world they will soon enter," said Finney.

"Water nourishes and gives life to all forms, but blackwater suggests an element of foreboding danger," the photographer explains.

"To win the Bluethumb Art Prize in the Photography Category feels like an absolute dream. This artwork was created with my son and holds a special place in both our hearts, so to be acknowledged and awarded by the industry with this prize is not only thrilling but also a wonderful affirmation," said Finney.

Judge Chris Carroll said, "The artwork invites you to ponder the subject with a captivating balance of light and dark, extraordinary detail and a sense of the unknown. Is it uplifting or eerie? Who is this child, and what are they experiencing? It's a question to get lost in."

Judge Natalie Mortimer said, "Natalie Finney's Blackwater Emerge swiftly captivates with its ethereal subject, beckoning your gaze, while the enigmatic ambience it conjures envelops you. The interplay of light and dark elements in this artwork delves deeply into the profound journey of youth, artfully showcasing the subject's delicate beauty in a way that's both enigmatic and visually stunning."

Still Life: Plants Taste Better by Jessica Guthrie
Sydney artist Jessica Guthrie has won the highly competitive Still Life Category Award in the

2023 Bluethumb Art Prize.

Guthrie was a finalist in the Bluethumb Art Prize in 2021 and 2022, and this year she won the

award with her artwork Plants Taste Better, oil on canvas. A deliberately composed still life, Plants Taste Better aims to gently prompt the viewer to contemplate their influence on pressing environmental concerns and their global impact, such as soil quality and our food chains. The painting serves as a tribute to the beauty of the natural world and how we can integrate it into our homes and sustenance, fostering a deep gratitude for nature's intricate design.

Inspired by Arthur Streeton's prophetic dystopian landscape paintings from the 1920s highlighting his concerns and projections for the environment in the future, Guthrie said, "My hope is that the viewer is prompted to have a further conversation about these issues to begin the catalyst for change."

Lauren Starr, Bluethumb Art Prize 2022 overall winner and one of this year's judges, said, "The subject matter and the carefully curated symbolism of this painting made it stand out from the crowd. More than ever, we need to be thinking about sustainability and where our food comes from: this still life voices contemporary concerns with the skill of the old masters."

Landscape & Wildlife: Bring Me A Higher Love by Sara Roberts

Sara Roberts from the New South Wales beach town of Shoalhaven has won the highly competitive Landscape & Wildlife Category Award in the 2023 Bluethumb Art Prize for her artwork Bring Me A Higher Love. Bluethumb received over 3,000 entries for this category.

Roberts is a contemporary painter known for her unique approach to capturing the essence of thoughts, emotions, and responses to the world on canvas. "I have always just wanted to paint, and Bluethumb has helped provide that opportunity for me as an artist! You have given me the time and freedom to explore my art practice and to find my voice as a painter, which is the most valuable currency as a practising artist. I am incredibly touched by the recognition."

"When someone asks me what I do for a living, I usually say a painter, and if my six-year-old daughter Bella is by my side, she usually interjects and says: "She paints a LOT of fires" and then rolls her eyes," Sara explains. "I love painting fires. When I paint them, I feel like I might understand some hidden truth about humanity or get a glimpse of some secret revealed to me. Some poetic meaning about being alive and the magic of this world. So yes, Bella, I might have to keep painting fires."

Judge Lauren Starr said, "Looking closer into this painting was like having a secret revealed. It connected with a primal, human part of me. Fire and gathering is something we've done since the beginning of time. The brush strokes are mesmerising, and the contrasting light and dark of the sky and fire - glorious."

Portrait: Galvanize by Joshua Miels
South Australian artist Joshua Miels has won the Portrait Category Award in the 2023 Bluethumb Art Prize with his artwork Galvanize.

Miels is a contemporary portrait artist based in Adelaide with a unique talent for unveiling the raw emotions his subjects try to hide from others. Spending countless hours adding layer upon layer of oil paint, Miels reveal his subjects' authentic selves.

The depth and complexity of his work invite viewers to reflect upon their emotional landscape, drawing from personal experiences and memories. His canvases become mirrors, reflecting the intricacies of our humanity and reminding us of the beauty in our vulnerability.

"Winning the Bluethumb Art Prize category for portraiture is a very special moment," said Joshua. "For me, this prize is about the recognition for the years spent alone in the studio working, always trying to better myself as an artist. There are times when I've doubted myself and my relevance in the art world. A moment like this reinforces that I do belong and need to keep going."

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander: Layers 05 by Jessica Begg
West Australian artist Jessica Begg has won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Category

Award in the 2023 Bluethumb Art Prize.

Begg's contemporary painting, Layers 05, holds personal significance. She states, "It reflects a time in my life when my mental health was at an all-time low, but only a few ever knew about my inner struggles."

"What you show on the surface isn't always what lies beneath," explains Jessica. "Each individual has many layers of oneself that only a few will ever get to see."

Jessica, a proud Noongar descendant residing on Yued land, embarked on her artistic journey as a means to connect with her Aboriginal heritage. This calling arose after she returned to her hometown of Moora, Western Australia, alongside her partner and two children, following twelve years of living in Perth.

Frequent visits with her cherished Nana and learning about their family's history ignited a deep inspiration within Jessica. This newfound passion for art became a powerful conduit for her to establish a profound connection to her cultural roots. This link had been largely severed due to the experiences of her great-grandfather, who was tragically part of the stolen generation, assimilated into white society, and consequently, forced to relinquish his Aboriginal culture.

Judge Lauren Starr said, "I was immediately drawn to this piece for its exceptional show of technique, colour, and the intriguing layers within the painting. The layers of paint and symbols show the layers we all have and many that remain hidden from the world."

Founders: Arrangement With Purple by Wendy Moore

Brisbane-based contemporary artist Wendy Moore has won the 2023 Bluethumb Art Prize Founders' Award. She is the third recipient of this special award that began in 2021.

Wendy specialises in creating bold, large-scale abstract artworks that radiate a deep affection for life and vibrant hues. Her statement pieces on canvas and natural linen draw inspiration from the forms she encounters while travelling in Australia. Growing up in a rural town instilled this passion for landscape in her.

"My obsession with painting and art started when I was a young girl growing up in outback Queensland, being selected at the age of nine to attend the Flying Art School," says Wendy.

Wendy only recently returned to full-time painting on canvas during the pandemic. She says, "My art practice has thrived since joining Bluethumb in 2022." Arrangement With Purple is an extra large, vibrant painting with layers of underpainting and contrasting flat areas of natural linen.

Bluethumb co-founders and brothers Edward and George Hartley judge this award for large statement pieces (at least 1.5m on one side) as this is the most popular and in-demand artwork on Bluethumb. "Wendy joined Bluethumb last year and quickly became a star, creating these huge, fantastic floral abstracts. She's sold 79 pieces already on us, and whenever we put one of her works in our gallery window, they literally stop traffic," said George Hartley.

For further images, please go to https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MFQCZ9O3rsHMCSA6ZmHRczsQ7snb2we-?usp=sharing