A LIFELIKE sketch has earned Madeline McAllan a finalist nomination in the esteemed Youth Black Swan Prize for Portraiture for the third year in a row.
The St Stephen’s School Carramar Year 12 student said it was “a great privilege and an honour” to be featured alongside “so much talent and creative ideas from other young people”.
Titled Mick, the portrait is of Madeline’s grandfather Michael McAllan, inspired by years of childhood memories together.
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READ NOW“I have never lived close to my grandfather as he lives in Karratha so I chose to draw him as a way of honouring my relationship to him, as well as showing how much I love and cherish the memories shared,” Madeline said.
“The sketch in the background is of the Pilbara coast – a place which he loves.”
The 17-year-old said despite being “such a detail-oriented piece” it took her just two days to complete using only coloured pencils.
“Once I get in the zone I work very quickly,” she said.
She said she enjoyed the therapeutic side of sketching, using her creativity to distract from the demands of Year 12.
“Being preoccupied with other schoolwork doesn’t leave much time to focus on my art outside of my art class in school,” she said.
“The Black Swan Prize and other exhibitions give me a motivation and opportunity to keep up my skills.”
Madeline’s first artwork in the 2016 Youth Black Swan Prize for Portraiture was an acrylic painting of Perth singer Troye Sivan.
“I was lucky enough to be contacted by his mother and was generously gifted two free VIP tickets to his Perth concert,” she said.
“(It was) definitely one of the best moments of my life and I felt very privileged to have been recognised by one of my idols through my artwork.”
The winner of the Youth Black Swan Prize for Portraiture will be announced on November 7, with an exhibition at Brookfield Place Tower 1 from October 29 to November 23.