A Palmerston North artist has been selected as a finalist for the annual Parkin Drawing Prize.
Alice Fennessy’s shortlisted artwork is titled Sunday Morning, and was inspired by her everyday life with her young children, River and Iris.
“Motherhood is many things at once – it is often simultaneously beautiful and messy, extraordinary and mundane, chaotic and sublime. This drawing aims to address these dualities through a self-portrait that centres my experience of us awake too early on a typical Sunday morning.”
Her work is usually done with pencil and paper, with a layering tone and then blending and erasing until it comes together.
“I love the accessibility, infinite potential and immediacy of drawing.”
She described her method as quite methodical and said she starts with an idea she wants to express or a story she wants to tell. Then she gathers or creates references, then preparatory sketches, and then she works towards the final product.
“My style is sensitive and quite soft, with lots of inspiration from memories, books I read, artist friends and art history.”
When she found out her piece was a finalist, Fennessy said it felt amazing.
She said her artmaking happens within and around her family life and her work as a full-time secondary school art teacher at Palmerston North Girls’ High School.
Alice Fennessy's artwork, Sunday Morning.
“It is always hard to make time for my creative life around these other forms of work and commitment, so I worked on the piece for about three months, in short windows of time. I am so thrilled it will be seen as part of this prestigious prize exhibition.”
Fennessy said art has always been a huge part of her life.
Her nana was an artist, and she was always inspired by her as a child. Her parents supported her to make art too, by making simple art materials available and encouraging her to paint, draw and craft.
At high school, she was inspired by her teachers to pursue art at university, so she completed a Bachelor of Fine Art with Honours at Messey University in Wellington.
There were 463 entries to the prize, and 77 works made the shortlist. The winner will receive $25,000 and there will be 10 highly commended prizes of $500.
The national competition, now in its 12th year, was founded in 2012 and has been generously supported by arts patron Chris Parkin since then.
The winner will be selected and announced by New Zealand writer, art critic and curator, Justin Paton who is head curator of international art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Paton will announce the winner and highly commended recipients at the gala opening of the Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington on Monday, August 5.
The Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition will run until Sunday, September 1 at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington. For the full shortlist visit https://parkinprize.nz/
