A PAINTBRUSH in hand comes naturally for Tenison Woods College graduate Sophie Donaldson who claimed a prestigious award at the 2019 South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) art show opening on Monday night.
The Light Square Gallery exhibition features paintings and drawings, sculptures, jewellery, costumes and multimedia works created by 2018 South Australian Year 12 graduates.
Inspired from her psychology roots, Ms Donaldson’s three-piece body of work titled Id, Ego and Superego earned Ms Donaldson one of two regional encouragement awards presented at the Adelaide event.
Ms Donaldson said she was quite pleased with the result.
“I did not think I would win anything, although a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears went into my three pieces,” she said.
“My folio for the art was about self-discovery and explored different ways on how you can represent portraiture.
“I had never done portraiture before this project and had really never done much painting so it was a big step.”
The opportunity was a skill-developer for Ms Donaldson, involving many complex artistic techniques.
“All three pieces are portraits with one a classic realist, another expressionist with all different colours and the middle larger one is an impasto brain,” she said.
“The brain involved laying perspex on top with drawings of neurons and people hanging off them which was totally whacky.
“I just thought ‘why not’ and I was okay before but now I am better due to this project.”
Ms Donaldson said the process involved two other people – her mother and college visual arts teacher Jane Van Eeten.
“I had the initial idea but they both helped me along the way to make it a reality,” she said.
“Tenison helped me with some of the harder parts as I had many new disposals at hand when I needed them.
“In the colourful portrait mum says you can see my aesthetics coming out.”
Ms Donaldson congratulated two of her school peers for also being selected to have their art on display.
“To be featured the process involves a school teacher nominating your art first and then external moderation for selection,” she said.
“College graduates Maddie Jude and Ashlyn O’Hehir were also nominated for their artwork to be displayed which was pretty special.”
The relationship between the artist, viewer and the art is something Ms Donaldson loves about her hobby.
“I have been painting for my whole life, but I have only really started taking it seriously in the past couple of years,” she said.
“I love how you are able to express yourself and how you can tell a story through the art.
“I would be an artists as a full-time career if I won the lottery.”
Tying in with her passions for psychology and the arts, Ms Donaldson hopes to specialise in art therapy when graduated from her Adelaide University honours degree of bachelor of psychological science.
The public can vote for their “favourite” artwork in order for artists to receive the Credit Union SA community award.
The award is presented at the end of the four-week exhibition to the artist with the most votes, who will receive $500, with the runner-up receiving $250.
For the first time the teacher of this year’s winning artist will also receive a $100 gift voucher.
