Christ College student wins one of the biggest NZ student art award scholarships

A Christ College teenager has won one of the biggest student art awards in New Zealand by picking up Flaxmere Hawarden ’s Art in a Garden $1000 student scholarship.



College 18 year old Campbell Taylor headed off 22 other entries to win the North Canterbury event scholarship, judged by establish artists Paul Deans and Simon Edwards.



The winning pencil sketch was a portrait of a man in contrasting environment. Taylor said he became hooked on art when he reached college.



``My art teacher Darryn George has been a great inspiration. I consider myself lucky to be taught by him as he has a wealth of knowledge of classic and contemporary art and is an endless source of help and ideas.



``The senior art students at school have had a huge influence on me and seeing the work they were doing got me excited and made me want to continue with it. As I kept going I realised it was what I enjoyed most and I got more involved. I have been most active during my time at college; I used to make more art outside of my school course work, but now with three hours of art a day at school it seems to have taken over.



``I’d love to buy some art with the $1000, or buy some large canvases to make a body of work with. However at the prospect of being a student next year it’s tempting to keep it in the bank. I get the award at the close of the Flaxmere event.’’



The inaugural Flaxmere Art in a Garden scholarship was open to any Canterbury year 12 or 13 art student.



Other finalists were: Rosa Allison Diana McHerron (Rangi Ruru Girls School), Felicity Bain, Kirsty McKenzie, Jennifer Smith (Christchurch Girls’ High School), Charlotte Grubb , Hao Tin Lin (Papanui High School), Amy Sheppard (Rangiora High School) and Kate Williams (St Andrews College).



The judges said their task of selecting 10 finalists and one winner seemed unfair because all the works had merit.



``Some possess immediate appeal while some grow on you as you observe more carefully and recognize the talent and skills that have been employed - and then stay with you afterward. Campbell Taylor’s drawing was one of these. I think it had the potential to slip into cliché but held its ground with good skills and hard work.



``The 10 finalists were able to convey their own particular sense of place, with highly resolved and often uneasy compositions. The best example of this was a revealing portrait by Taylor. As an image it’s slightly disturbing, sinister nature was immediately engaging and the artist’s accomplished technical ability successfully drew you into the details of both the old man’s over exposed face and his graffitied brick surroundings.’’



Art in a Garden event organiser Alison Meyer said Taylor will receive this award later this month at the event of the event.



More than 70 artists and sculptors are exhibiting 300 works at the October 28 to 31 event held at the Flaxmere garden, which has been made a garden of national significance by the New Zealand Garden Trust.