NATURE
MARCH 2025
BEST IN SHOW
CLAUDIA PUNTER
GOLDEN TRIO AWARD
JOHN DIEPHOUSE
**RUBY ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024**
**CRYSTAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2023**
"POLLINATOR"
"IN FLIGHT"
"ON THE SUMMER POND"
Photography
“I am a self-taught photographer and digital collage artist and am attracted to a wide variety of subjects ranging from natural landscapes, botanicals and wildlife to images that provide either abstract expression or social commentary. I am interested in sharing images that evoke a story of some kind. Images may be simply documentary, reflect a sense of time and place or resonate on a more abstract level of color, shape or form. Others provoke an indefinable question that does not readily yield answers without further study and reflection.” — JOHN DIEPHOUSE
GOLDEN TRIO AWARD
NORMA RUFFINELLI
**CRYSTAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024**
"JOURNEY OF UNITY"
"SERENITY IN NATURE"
"FOREST HARMONY"
Acrylic
“As an artist, I seek to create work that evokes a deep connection to nature and the untamed spirit of life. My art explores the harmony between diverse elements of the natural world, blending intricate details with a sense of unity and wonder. Each painting is an invitation to pause, reflect and rediscover the beauty that often goes unnoticed. Inspired by my years of experience painting murals and canvases, I draw from a rich palette of colors and textures to bring my visions to life. My goal is to inspire viewers to see beyond the surface and connect with the stories and emotions embedded in each piece. Whether depicting animals in their raw grace or the interplay of light and shadow in natural landscapes, my work aspires to capture the essence of life’s beauty and resilience.” — NORMA RUFFINELLI
DIAMOND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
NELL-LYNN PERERA
**SAPPHIRE ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2023**
**CRYSTAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2022**
"FROZEN ALIVE"
Photography
“My love for flowers and plants began at a young age. Because money was tight when I was growing up, my sister and I would steal branches sprouting beautiful leaves from our neighbor’s home. Today, being able to afford to purchase flowers and leaves sold at florists, my home is more often than not, decorated with flowers and leaves. The climate I live in is mostly hot and humid, so flowers do not last as long as they would in a colder climate but that doesn’t stop me from adorning my home with them. Besides painting, photography is another passion of mine. To take these photographs, I had to work very quickly. I learnt that the simplest of flowers reflect beauty in them too. I intend to continue experimenting with this medium as that’s my nature; to continue learning.” — NELL-LYNN PERERA
DIAMOND AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
TANYA FINCH
"THE WATCHER"
Graphite
“The beauty of the world around me has attracted me since childhood — I wanted to express my vision on paper, to convey through artistic means the sensations of contact with it. A trace of a black line on a white sheet — a pencil — gives me the opportunity to discover the boundlessness of the world, the beauty of every corner of the earth. Black and white are two colors which I have chosen for myself. It is with their help, in the endless alternation of strokes, lines, spots, that I try to convey all the beauty of the world around me.” — TANYA FINCH
SAPPHIRE AWARD
XINJUN LI
RUBY AWARD
ROBERT BOLLA
**EMERALD ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024**
EMERALD AWARD
THERESA POALUCCI
CRYSTAL AWARD
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AWARD OF MERIT
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HONOURABLE MENTION
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**WINNERS VIDEO**