“I studied art at school and had a piece selected for Art Express, the highlight of my life until now.
“I was a finalist in the Jacaranda Drawing Prize in 1998, but I’ve entered few competitions other than the Country Energy. Last year when I made the final again with a small painting I knew I had to do a bigger painting for greater impact.
Avoiding the debate as to whether size does matter, Silent Protest, a three panel acrylic series on cows, leapt out at the competition’s judge Suzanne Archer.
“The painting has a sense of humour and demonstrates a personal sense of observation”, Suzanne Archer, a former winner of the Wynne Prize, said.
“It tends towards a naïve style but is more sophisticated and is painted in watercolour style - lots of use of transparent colour, like a watercolour”.
Fiona’s strong environmental beliefs inspired her work.
“I adore cows, their shape and how their markings allow for the incorporation of double meanings into a painting” the 42-year-old said.
“I pursued architecture over art because I thought art was too self indulgent. I felt art was pretty pictures that didn’t do anything for the planet”.
“I don’t think that so much now. Art can be used as a powerful message to help the earth”.
“Silent Protest looks at the drought and the greenhouse effect”.
“The cows in the foreground are partly transparent, denoting death. They are dying, disintegrating and the other cows are crowding around them”.
“They are asking ‘what are you doing to the world? We’re dying.’”
“Ironically our farming of cows is having a major environmental impact on the planet; with the effects of deforestation and methane”.
The strength of her environmental beliefs intact and a cheque big enough to enthusiastically bolster both her confidence and bank balance, what’s next for Fiona?
“I’m donating $5000 to the Salvation Army because my family was poor when I was young and I want to give something back” the mother-of-two said.
“I really want to take a trip out to Uluru. I went outback three years ago and found it such an inspiration.”
“But I’m not really sure what next. I sometimes wish I’d studied art straight after school, but architecture has helped me in a three-dimensional sense beyond any conceivable recognition”.
“Winning hasn’t really hit me yet but it’s a huge boost to do more art”.
