YOU HAVE only a few days to view the 33 top entries in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize on show at the National Archives in Canberra.

“The Waterhouse” is one of “CityNews’” very favourite art shows and only ever travels to Canberra after its annual opening at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide.

With a record 859 entries from around the globe, the prize, one of Australia’s richest art competitions, has developed from being a slightly academic show of botanical and natural science works to a commanding and occasionally quirky exhibition of top Australian art.

The combined prize money totals more than $100,000, with an overall acquisitive winner’s prize of $50,000 and category prizes of $12,000 each for paintings, works on paper and sculpture and objects. The Waterhouse Youth Art Prize is worth $5,000.

A cape titled “Flight of Fancy”, by South Australian artist Judith Brown from bulbs, leaves and paper, is this year’s overall winner   and it also received the People’s Choice award. The judges have described it as “a work of singular originality and rare beauty”.

Local  artists were highly commended, notably  paintings, Brenda Runnegar’s  “Cactus” and Nicola Dickson’s “Gould’s Australian Chintz II” as well as the glass work “Diatom Pair” by Matthew Curtis of Queanbeyan.  Steven Holland from Michelago also highly commended for his snake sculpture “all things known, all things sensed”.

And the quirky? It would be hard to go past QLD artist Kate Bergin’s highly commended oil on canvas painting, “The Art of Patience”, partly inspired by Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” and showing a group of animals patiently watching and waiting for—who knows?

The Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize, at the National Archives of Australia, Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes, daily until  November 10.