Rockingham painter’s Freedom win

Rockingham artist Tich Dixon won the prestigious Fremantle Ports best in show award at the Freedom Art Exhibition opening.

The win left the creative lost for words.

Ms Dixon won for her abstract pencil and charcoal piece, Hull, which took about a week to finish.

“It’s inspired by Rockingham and the WA coast, and the shipwrecks and the boats,” she said.

“Our coast was built on those tall ships that came here and Rockingham was a major port — before Fremantle — at that time. It has a lot of significance.”

Mandurah’s Leon Holmes won the Bendigo Bank open category with Old Coast Drive, while Baldivis creative Sheila Benford won the any media category for Reflections.

Tranby College graduate Gemma Prentice won the best emerging artist under 25 category with Attachment, while the student art prize went to Kolbe College student Jade Langley for AOIFE.

The exhibition was opened by deputy Premier Roger Cook MLA and features 57 artworks by 33 artists. The artists used a wide range of tools to create their masterpieces including watercolour, oils, acrylic and multimedia.

Mr Cook said the arts were an expression of a community.

“It’s an expression that unites us,’ he said.

The exhibition is on display in the Fremantle Ports Exhibition Zone at Koorliny Arts Centre in Kwinana until Friday, February 12, from 10am to 4pm.

The works can also be seen at koorliny.com.au.