Learn more about all of the 2024 Showcase in Pixels Submission by reading about their art below.
Individual - Professional
Di Ryder, OAM
I’ve chosen to draw Di because she embodies values I deeply respect. Her commitment to the service of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to her own local community and to the country more widely is inspirational. As well, I know her to be true to these values in her everyday life as a mother, grandmother, citizen and friend.
She is also rightly known as an independent, self-mobilising, plain-spoken, straight-forward and clear-minded woman. I admire these qualities very much. Beyond this, she is also one of the most humble people I have had the good fortune to meet. I am very proud of my friendship with her and have been honoured to draw her several times.
She is certainly a hero in my eyes.
The sculpture is called "Marlu Tidda" which means "Kangaroo Sister". I created this sculpture with one hero in mind - Maggie van Santen from Amaris Wildlife Sanctuary located in Tenterden Western Australia. Maggie's home serves as a rehabilitation & release site for the native wildlife she cares for. She is self-funded and spends all her time on her rural property nursing these animals back to health. She has to contend with huge vet bills and the constant loss & heartache that often accompany these rescues. I created this sculpture in Maggie's honour as my local hero.
Marlu Tidda, took approximately 60 hours to create from Keanes Raku Clay. She is hand-built and fired with ceramic glazes and stands approximately 40cm high. I hope that this will bring awareness to the plight of Australian native wildlife and the challenges they face in a world that humans are consuming. In addition, I would like to highlight how one person is making a huge difference one animal at a time. A true definition of a hero.
This artwork is created with gouache paint on watercolour paper. It references the City of Wanneroo’s public sculpture at Quinns Beach, The Sentinel, and ‘Heroes Among Us’ the volunteer surf lifesavers of the Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club.
The surf lifesavers and The Sentinel have morphed into a single iconic guardian looking out over Quinns Beach. The colour palette has been kept minimal emphasising the recognisable red and yellow of the Surf Club against the dynamic backdrop of a green Indian Ocean.
The work is in recognition of the countless hours volunteer members of the Surf Club dedicate to patrolling our local beaches in the summer keeping everyone safe. Also acknowledging their commitment in providing a secure environment for children and adults to learn and participate in beach activities, creating an active and caring local community ensuring the continued involvement of future generations.
Individual - Non-professional
This artwork, created using watercolour pencils on canvas for the Individual non- professional category, celebrates the selfless acts of the volunteer fire and rescue team of Lake Grace. It features iconic elements of the town, including the serene Lake Grace, the distinctive Salmon Gums, the welcoming entry statement, and the expansive wheat crops. The use of watercolour pencils enhances the vivid portrayal of these elements, capturing the essence of the town and the heroic community spirit.
My artwork beautifully honours the healthcare heroes of Lake Grace Hospital. By using watercolour pencils, I have created a soft, fluid quality that reflects the compassion and care inherent in nursing. The connection to the Australian Inland Mission Hospital underscores the enduring legacy of healthcare in the region, symbolising hope and resilience. As a Registered Nurse myself, my personal experience adds depth and authenticity, making this piece not just a tribute, but a heartfelt reflection on my profession and the community's dedication to vital healthcare.
The inspiration is local Perth musician and music tutor Carla Geneve, who has inspired and encouraged me to follow my dreams of becoming a musician after years of leaving my hobby dormant. The artwork was created by using a black ink brush pen on 210GSM paper to draw only the shadows from a pencil drawing I did of her at one of her gigs, encouraging the viewer to put the various elements together to make sense of it.
The Shire of Quairading is delighted to present "Waalitj - Guardian of the Skies" for the 2024 Showcase in Pixels Art Competition in the Non-Professional - Individual category.
Created by Charlie Colbung, a proud Noongar artist from Ballardong Country, this artwork is crafted using traditional art techniques. Each brush stroke meticulously placed to vividly portray the eagle, a central symbol in Noongar culture.
"Waalitj" utilizes an acrylic paint medium to bring its majestic figure to life. The eagle is depicted in rich earth tones and contrasting shades, emphasizing its grandeur and symbolic significance. Surrounding elements, such as the stylized sky and landscapes, honour the natural world that the eagle protects, reflecting its role as a guardian.
The artwork connects deeply with the theme ‘Heroes Among Us’ by showcasing the eagle as a revered hero within Noongar tradition. This majestic bird represents strength, authority, and respect, embodying the qualities necessary to protect our precious resources—water, land, and sky.
"Waalitj" is a tribute to these natural guardians and their vital role in environmental stewardship, highlighting how heroism often resides in the protective roles played by elements of nature.
This illustration is of my grandmother, Daphne Maureen Hart, who lived her life to the fullest. On her 90th birthday, she even took a flight in a Tiger Moth aeroplane. A local artist and resident of the South West, she sadly passed away in late August 2024. She taught me to embrace life with passion and joy.
Without our grandparents, we wouldn’t exist, and our communities wouldn’t be the same. Many of us know at least one grandparent who is raising their grandchildren on their own. To me, our grandparents are truly the hidden heroes among us today.
This piece, entitled ‘SES throughout Gosnells’ Past’, encapsulates the past and present of the state emergency services in our suburb. This multimedia collage uses original photos from the Gosnells SES ranging from the 1980s to 2000s. This collage is then overlayed with native flora from areas such as the Woodlupine Reserve or Mills Park. In the centre is a watercolour and ink, contemporary rendition of a modern SES uniform. The meaning and inspiration behind this piece come from my mother's contribution to volunteer emergency services and the fulfilment that it provides her. I feel inspired by her bravery and courage and hope that this piece represents it.
In the 60s until the 90s my grandparents lived in a little cottage on Prowse Street near the football oval. As a very young girl I remember stories of my father and uncle playing football there. The importance of the football oval to the local community was very apparent. Over the years there have been countless football games played there, music festivals enjoyed - and in 1954 it also hosted the Queen.
These days it is equally a hub important to our community. I know young men and women who proudly train and play on the grounds. The sounds that emanate from there on game days is glorious. People with their folding chairs and picnics enter through the beautiful structure of the gates now as they have for many years with volunteers manning the post.
The entrance gates were built around 1930 and was the site where the then premier (Collier) officially opened the Oval An iconic structure which I felt compelled to paint along with paper flowers to highlight the plantings around our town. My work is in acrylic, using bold brush strokes to signify the energy I feel from this historic icon of Bassendean.
YILGARN ANIMAL RESCUE HEROES
The theme ‘Heroes Among Us’ inspired me to write about people in our community who show kindness, compassion and care towards animals, birds and wildlife.
Sergeant Blake rescued a Dorper lamb from a car that was traveling through our town. The lamb is now one of my pets.
Laura Black and Ron Goodhill are selfless, dedicated animal rescuers who have been operating the Parnana Pikurtu Wildlife Sanctuary for many years. Local people take injured animals that are in need of rescuing to them and the animals get the very best of care and rehabilitation.
Michelle Day is the local Animal Ranger who has helped countless animals over many years. She came to our home and collected a wild kitten that had turned up in our backyard. She gave the kitten to the cat re-homer who comes to town every fortnight.
I have been rescuing orphaned sheep since I was very young. I currently have 23 pet sheep and I have had many more in the past. My pet sheep stay with me for their entire lifetime. My cat Rocky was living wild, but found his way to my home and adopted me.
My submission has been drawn in the medium of digital art. The images have been created in a software program called Adobe AI Illustrator. I have drawn the images using an Apple Pencil. First, I traced outlines of the images, then colored the outlines in, and created backgrounds. My competition category is Non-Professional Individual.
Junior Primary (up to Year 3)
I am April and I'm 5 years old and in Pre Primary. I drew this on mum's computer using Paint. I love Bambbinos ice cream in Bassendean because it's delicious and my Nonna and Nonno take me after school for a treat. Rainbow is my favourite ice cream but I like all of the flavours except chocolate. Ice cream is my hero.
Emma, a bright local 7-year-old, was inspired to draw a numbat after learning that they are not only endangered but also Pingelly's emblem. She thinks numbats are special because they play a unique role in nature, and when she heard about the people working hard to save them and their natural habitat around Pingelly, she knew they were real-life heroes. These people, from conservationists to bushfire volunteers are protecting not just the numbats, but also Pingelly's natural environment, making them heroes to everyone.
My name is Ivy Persich, I am 7 years old and in Year 2 at school. I drew this on mum's computer using Paint. Bees are the heroes in my garden in Bassendean. I like watching them collect the pollen from my flowers and they help pollinate other plants. This is why bees are heroes, best of all is the Queen Bee she rules. I also like worker bees, they do all the hard work.
Ambulances were drawn by a PrePrimary and Yr 1 students.
The Fire Truck a Year 1 student
The Paramedic a Year 2 student
The Fireperson and extinguisher a Year 1 student.
Upper Primary (up to Year 6)
My Joondalup School Art Competition artwork contains many icons of Joondalup. Many icons including ECU, Hillarys Boat Harbour, Lake Side Joondalup, Lake Joondalup, HBF Arena, The Joondalup Library and Mullaloo Beach. I outlined everything in fine liner, and I used two mediums including water colour and acrylic paint. I used water colour for the water of Hillarys and I used acrylic paint for the rest of my artwork. I have been inspired by last years winner by including many places of Joondalup.
Cervantes Primary School (Yr 4/5/6)
As a class we brainstormed the theme, ‘Heroes Among Us’. We came up with a list of the community groups that came to mind and noticed the words, ‘safe, protect, conserve, defend, care and rescue’ were common themes. In pairs, students were given a lead pencil, chalk and graphic markers to design a poster with the challenge to incorporate brainstormed ideas relating the the theme.
Next, we presented our completed posters to the class, voted on key aspects and then amalgamated these ideas to create our final digital design.
Students in Years 2-6 were inspired by Spanish painter artist Okuda San Miguel. They used a range of mediums - paint, paper collage and oil pastels - to create their own abstract vibrant self-portraits.
They regularly discuss how just one person can change the world with small acts of kindness. They've also looked at how people can contribute to the community. We are each one of the 'Heroes Among Us’; we all have the capability to be a hero.
I have hand drawn a scene of a community hero who has created a community garden. These people are helping by volunteering their time to provide fruits and vegetables for people who can’t afford to buy them and sharing knowledge to younger generations.
My Hero Among Us is the New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) as they pollinate vital native plants around Bassendean. They pollinate around 100 different species, including the flowers I put in my picture (Banksia menziesii). I was inspired because I wake up to the chirping of these birds outside my bedroom window in the morning and can watch them in the bushes from my desk where I draw.
How it was created - I pencilled the drawing on paper and then used an ink pen to draw over it all to make it more bold. I then took a photo of it with the iPad and used an app called Procreate to colour it all in. Medium used - It was an H Pencil and a Pigment Liner on paper and digitally coloured it using Procreate.
I'm 10 and in Year 5.
Secondary (up to Year 12)
This artwork was painted with acrylic paint on paper. I then used markers to outline some of the areas. I worked on this project for 8 weeks.
I wanted to paint the cliffs at Gantheaume during the sunset. I love how beautiful the colours are on the warm rocks and how interesting and different all the seasonal jellyfish are that we find on the beach.
The heroes in Broome are the every day people that look after and care for our environment.
This is my artwork of a lifeguard looking into the distance. It represents that lifeguards are one of the many groups of volunteers and that they are always there to help you out. They are our heroes always waiting in the wings.
This artwork was painted with acrylic paint on paper. I also used marker pens. I worked on this for 8 weeks.
I decided to paint an image about a pearl diver who came out of the water and left his helmet on the beach. Every time I am down by the water I notice fish swimming and flicking up water with a splash. I am showing the history of pearl diving in Broome and giving respect to the people that helped create the pearling industry that we are famous for.
Community Group
Moorditj Wirin Circle is an Aboriginal Women’s yarning group in the City of Bayswater. The ladies meet monthly to come together for friendship and yarning in a culturally appropriate safe space.
The group decided to create a special artwork form the heart to recognise the real “Heroes Among Us” – Stolen Generation Survivors. This involved creating an artwork together using acrylic paints on canvas with 47 hibiscus leaves, each one representing a mission in Western Australia. The native hibiscus flower has been chosen to symbolise the Stolen Generation as it survives in harsh conditions and is a symbol of strength and resilience.
The leaves connect all the flowers together, just like all the Stolen Generation Survivors across WA are connected. The dots in the background represent the colours of the earth all over the State. The artwork is in memory of all the children removed and all the mothers and family who lost children through government policy.
“They have been through so much in their lives, being stolen from their families and the lives they knew to be taken to Missions to work for nothing, suffer abuse and the loss of their culture but they survived against the policy to breed the black out of them.” -Quote from Moorditj Wirin Circle member
The artwork was created by young people aged 12 - 16 years who are part of the Shire of Capel's Youth Collectives. The medium used was materials to create a collage. The competition category is community group. The half faces joint together symbolically reflects 'heroes among us' in the diverse forms that heroism can take. Fire fighters are a common theme in the collage because they're widely regarded as human heroes who risk their lives to save others. Their courage, dedication, and selflessness make them symbols of bravery and service to the community. Dogs are another common theme in the collage. Dogs, particularly service, rescue, and working dogs, are also heroes in their own right. They assist in countless ways, often displaying loyalty, courage, and intelligence. They are valued companions who provide emotional and practical support on a daily basis. Combining the images represents the idea that heroism is not limited to humans but is a shared trait across species. It suggests that heroes come in many forms, and both humans and animals make the world a better and safer place.
