We congratulate artists Kaye Shumack, Julie Thornton, Caitlin Turner and Isabella Zammit who were recently announced as the winners of the 10th annual ‘Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing’.
The prize, consisting of four categories, was established in memory of Marie Corella Ellis OAM (1918-2003), as ongoing recognition of Ellis’ dedication and service to the community, inspired by her love of the Girl Guide movement, children and arts & crafts.

Kaye Shumack, Walking down to Railway Square from Central Station, Sydney, charcoal, pastel and gouache, 39 x 56cm. Courtesy the artist and Juggler’s Art Space, Queensland
The Major Prize has been awarded to Shumack for her work titled Walking down to Railway Square from Central Station, Sydney.
With reflection on a sense of place and belonging Schumack shares, ‘Walking down the hill to Railway Square from the country train exit at Central Station has always felt to me like a doorway into the city and its ebbs and flows, a place memory that I have had since a young girl. The scale of this place, with its multiple roads, activities, people in transit and passages of space gives off radiant, vibrant energy glows and sparks. This drawing is about all these aspects, in a sense of recognition and love for a special city place.’
The ‘Honourable Mention’ goes to Thornton for her submission titled With heavy feet and lofty hope. This work explores the passing of time and memory and perceptions of the spaces we inhibit.
‘My drawing practice explores the passage of time through an infinite, transient landscape. It gathers the patina of human activity, mapping a memory of what went before, what is and could have been. The drawn marks are felt, connecting the spaces between memories and happenings; a fusion, both spontaneous and ponderous.
‘With heavy feet and lofty hope’, takes me across the paper. Here an unplanned, unknowing landscape evolves. Intrigued by the notion of the internal external landscape, I begin to question the perception of space. Shifting between line and tone, I move in and around the scene. Is the mountain bigger than me? Am I atop it, or is the mountain inside.’

Julie Thornton, With heavy feet and lofty hope, charcoal, ink and collage, 75 x 132cm. Courtesy the artist and Juggler’s Art Space, Queensland
The ‘Director’s Encouragement Award’ for a High School Student has been awarded to Turner for her watercolour entry Levels of Luminosity. This work aims to ignite conversation about the overuse of light outdoors and reveal the impact it has on the environment and other living creatures.
‘My artwork, Levels of Luminosity, focuses on the issue of light pollution which is the excessive and misdirected use of light in an outdoor setting. This excess light reduces visibility of the night sky creating problems for astronomers and eliminates the visual pleasure of experiencing the night sky in its natural state. It also alters the sleeping, breeding and migrating habits of animals as well as changing predator/prey relationships between animals. Also, it alters ecosystems, which causes physical and psychological harm. Light pollution also has a negative effect on the sleeping habits of humans, which has adverse health effects. Increased human activity and everyday processes has resulted in the diminishment of the surrounding environment. While light pollution is one of the easiest environmental issues to resolve, it is one of the most unrecognised and unknown dangers to our planet. My artwork aims to make the issue of light pollution known and urge people to understand how leaving lights on can impact the environment. The watercolour drawings demonstrate the way the night sky looks at varying levels of light pollution.’
The People’s Choice award nominated by public vote goes to Zammit for To be stripped, a portrait work, which explores notions of self and identity in crisis.
‘Looking at recognition, self and identity – who is a person once you remove what is natural to them? To be stripped explores the dichotomy of what is hidden and what is exposed, the elements of self which can be masked or lost entirely – to the point where one does not recognise oneself. A disfigurement of identity is a commonly experienced issue of self, and something, which is heightened by the alienness of this portrait. This rendered strangeness demonstrates the blankness, the emptiness left in tow of identity crisis.’
Presented by Juggler’s Art Space Inc., Queensland.