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Excitement is mounting as over 200 entries have been received and preparations are being made for the opening and judging of our art competition. Who knows whether a wild and delicate beauty such as the Weedy Seadragon will feature as a model? Victoria’s marine emblem is a local resident in the Bay, especially liking the seagrass habitats of the southern part, around Rye.

To judge such a competition is no mean feat. The criteria on which the judges will base their decision take into account the quality of the work in each age group, but also the message which the poster/art piece conveys about the title: Wild About Port Phillip.

The title itself can be interpreted in several ways – three at least might occur to you as you ponder on this treasure we have in Victoria. (Why is there a need to invent a Melbourne icon?  It is right in our midst.)

We wish the judges well as they embark on this possibly difficult but certainly pleasant task.

Our three judges are all well known in art and education circles and bring together a wealth and variety of experience and expertise. Here are some details about each one to introduce them to you.

Craig Forster. Craig grew up in country Victoria and studied teaching as well as continuing his studies in Fine Arts and Sculpture. He has taught over many years in Melbourne and Canberra. He has been a resident of the Mornington Peninsula for over twenty years, and can be found in his permanent studio Gallery of the Field in Mt Eliza.(www.fieldgallery.com.au)  While continuing his exploration in art of the beauty of the Peninsula, Craig is also involved in a wide range of community and environmental initiatives and projects.

Julianna Turcu. Julianna is well known in Romania as a sculptor and knitting designer. She has sculptures in public open spaces and institutions throughout Romania, and was a former teacher and curator of the Contemporary Arts Museum of Romania. She now lives in Melbourne, close to Port Phillip Bay, drawing new inspiration from its natural beauty.

Diane Hamilton. Diane has a rich background in art and education, and much experience in assessing VCE Visual Art. She has a great gift for drawing out the most amazing work from some most unlikely student “raw material”. Her own words will complete the story:

“Through my art, I am showing the way I feel about the world around me.  I have been teaching art, studio art and graphics in Australia for 25 years. Throughout my career I have learnt to expend my creativity by observing the way nature displays herself and the different imaginative ways my students portrayed what they observed.  I am also teaching painting and drawing at the  Council for Adult Education in Melbourne and enjoying the interaction of ideas and personalities while working with adults. 

While achieving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual communication and design in the U.S.A., I have developed my technical skills and acquired individual expression and coordination of my ideas.  I enjoy painting with many different mediums and drawing with coloured pencils and pastels.

I am a member of THE AUSTRALIAN GUILD OF REALIST ARTISTS and vary my artwork from abstraction, fantasy, stylized to realism. I am passionate about my art work and spend many hours in my studio at home doing the art work that I love.

Because of the many social and economic problems of the world, it is healthy to encourage the public, children to adults, to use their imaginations to put these problems aside for a short time and enjoy the stimulation of a visual experience of art.”

It seems that with these three judges, we are in good hands.