THE $2,000 Capital Chemist Art Award, held annually at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, has gone to an expressive self-portrait of the artist standing in front of the late artist Brett Whiteley’s  studio and gallery. 

The  judges, David McLaren from Bungendore Wood Works Gallery and this writer, told those at the opening last night that they had been consistently drawn back to the winning artwork, “Two,” 2012, by Guy Tessier, which, they said, revealed the personality of a very Australian artist. They praised the finely-executed background of the oil on canvas painting.

Also winning special commendation from the judges was “Self-portrait with a Shovel,” 2012 by John Wyborn, described as a beautifully crafted portrait with a dark, almost Dutch sensibility, in which the personality of the painter himself emerged clearly.

In commenting on the quite experimental nature of many works in this year’s Capital Chemist Art Award, which was open to artists over the age of 25, the judges also drew attention to “Lake George Time Warp” (triptych) 2012, by Rodney Usback, who won last year’s award.

This colourful work was made using the relatively recent technology of a graphics tablet, worked on with digital paint brushes and filters in Adobe Creative Suite to create a very subtle background. It shows, in three stages, the uses that “creatures” have made of Lake George, with dinosaurs in the first painting, human beings (and mysteriously, a couple of little thylacines) in the second and cattle and wind turbines in the third.

Before performing the official opening the exhibition, Joseph Falsone, director of Gorman House Arts Centre, entertained the crowd with his stories of a recent trip around the commercial galleries of New York, many of which, he said, were filled with “crap” and an endless numbers of Apple Macs. In light of that, he urged the many artists present to be proud of their work and where they lived.

Melita Flynn, representing the Capital Chemist chain which has spread from Canberra around the region and as far as Tasmania, said she was a keen art lover and that this award, a good example of an arts and community collaboration, was in its eighth year.

The Gallery’s curator, Narelle Phillips, said that in a new sponsorship, – Eckersley’s Art and Craft store at Phillip. Eckersley’s would offer a $250 open voucher for goods in store and a sample pack of art materials to the winner of the 2012 People’s Choice Award, which is now open for voting.

Capital Chemist Art Award exhibition, at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Cr of Colishaw & Reed Streets, Greenway, Mon-Sat until November 24, inquiries to 6293 1443.