Jane’s Eleanor is the Primewest people’s choice

South-east metropolitan artist Jane Meleisea’s vivid painting of a macaw has won the coveted public vote in the City of Gosnells 2021 Community Art Awards.

The awards featured a week-long exhibition at the end of May, where visitors voted for their favourite artwork, with the most popular earning the Primewest People’s Choice Award.

Mayor David Goode, who last week presented Jane with her $500 prize, said it was clear why her artwork titled ‘Eleanor’ was such a hit with the community.

“Jane’s painting is so full of colour and incredibly realistic – it is one of those artworks that you can keep looking at and still find something of interest,” he said.

“Congratulations to Jane for a very deserving award and thanks to everyone who voted and came along to see the 182 entries on display as part of this year’s Community Art Awards.”

Jane was thrilled to receive the People’s Choice Award, adding it was her first accolade.

“Eleanor, who is actually owned by a friend of mine, has stunning colours and plumage – she was quite a challenge to paint, especially the detail of her feathers,” she said.

It took Jane around 80 hours to paint Eleanor, which is a harlequin macaw, hand-reared in Perth and now owned by Jane’s friend in Victoria.

Images of all winning artworks in the 2021 Community Art Awards – including the overall acquisitive award of $5,000, which went to Simon McArdell’s outstanding entry titled Ghost – can be viewed on the City’s website.