Congratulations to Year 12 student Amy Barnes who has won second prize at the Paterson Burn Excellence in Art competition.

The competition was open to year 12 and 13 students from Waikato, Coromandel, and Auckland, painting on the theme ‘The world through the eyes of another – Past, Present, Future’.

Amy’s explanation for her painting is as follows:

My work is inspired by individuals and their point of view to be ‘Mother Earth’. With issues like climate change, deforestation and pollution beginning to change our present and future I wanted my art to reflect these problems.Especially as they really have changed from our past and will continue to drastically change in the future. Although my theme is quite heavy and intense I wanted to incorporate it subtly through my work. With the present represented through the newspaper and the work as whole combining the contrasting elements of the past and future through the colour, images, lighting, layout, and sizing/proportions on the canvas. Therefore the idea I chose not only affects ‘Mother Earth’ but it also  affects us all which we can/will see in our own past, present and future.

The entries, including Amy’s, were sold off at auction, with 20 per cent of the proceeds going to Diabetes New Zealand! We’re very proud of Amy’s achievement!