02/10/2025
Announcing "People's Choice" Winner 2025.
This year the Award goes to Mark Tyrrell with "Morepork Lullaby"
Congratulations from the Ruapehu Art Awards Team.
This award was sponsored by New World, Time for Me, Bella Sole and Partnerz in Hair.
Thanks to Ida Hamm for sorting through and counting the hundreds of small pieces of paper with the votes cast throughout the exhibition by the visitors. What a task that was!
"Morepork Lullaby"
This painting is based on the Moreporks who sing/hoot in our trees outside of our house at night. Located next to a native reserve high above the town overlooking the Wanganui River, Moreporks seem to love sitting in the branches and calling out their distinctive calls. On our Hill there's wild pheasants, the Goats wander across the country lane type road in broad daylight in herds of a dozen or more to the point the road is an obstacle course and you just about trip over the Californian Quail who like to scurry around the houses in out of bushes making strange miniature dinosaur noises. Even the Swallows play games with you ducking and diving around you on a morning walk while the Sparrows sit on fences in Winter enjoying the morning sun like musical notes in chirping conversation happy to have survived another subzero night. All these sights and sounds go to make up life on Sunshine Hill. On a moonlit night, who wouldn't want to go outside and play.
For those interested in prints of this Artwork.
These are available from this link:
https://marktyrrellart.com/product/morepork-lullaby/
