Staff finalists in Painting Prize

Congratulations to  our new full time painting and drawing teacher Tim Allen , selected as a finalist in the 2012 NSW Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize. Congratulations also to  fellow Fine Arts teacher Stephen Hall who has also been selected.

The term ‘en plein air’ refers to the practice of painting out of doors, in direct engagement with nature. Tim described this practice in relation to his selected entry:


“This work was created over Easter 2012, at a property outside Cooma on the Monaro Plains. The collections of granite boulders and dieback trees that dot the property have the starkness of the European romantic tradition. This was emphasised on the day of this painting when the initially sunny day quickly transformed as a strong southerly front brought an unseasonal snowstorm. The energy and tension imbued into an artwork by the unpredictability of working en plein air is what I love about the process. The day finished with a beer, contemplating the painting on the veranda as snow fell and the other artists started a snowfight'

The finalists are on display at NSW Parliament in the Fountain Court until 31^st May. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, 8.00am – 5.30pm.  

Tim Allen -  Granite Fields Monaro Plains