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On Friday, 28 October, KRISTY GRIGGS (27) won a Highly Commended award for her graphite portrait, Tepid Distortions. It is the first national competition that Kristy has entered in the three years that she has been drawing.

Awards, which consist of monetary prizes, were given to fourteen out of 250 artists. Kristy’s category was ‘Works on Paper’ and her graphite artwork competed against other drawings, watercolours, acrylics, pastels and ink works. Other categories included ‘Oil Paintings’, ‘3D Works’, ‘Fibre Art’, ‘Photography’, and two special categories depicting the Taranaki area.

The Taranaki Art Awards began in 2001 and this year celebrated its tenth anniversary. All works are on exhibition in Opunake at the Sandfords Events Centre until November 5. After this, Kristy is sending her prize-winning portrait to Wellington where it has been requested for a special event co-ordinated by Jodie Dalgleish at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Art.

Kristy, who has never taken art lessons, held her first solo exhibition at Uxbridge Creative Centre in April, 2011. She is currently preparing work for her next solo show, which she plans to exhibit both in New Zealand and her home country of Australia in 2012.