Isla Downs with her winning painting, Boris. Photos: Supplied.
Kiama teen Isla Downs udderly and overwhelming won the Daisy Spring Festival’s inaugural cow painting competition in her hometown, prompting her to place a playful $1 million price tag on her artwork.
Expressive Art Experience Studio owner Michelle Springett, who ran the festival and competition, said the idea for the event stemmed from wanting to give her art students an opportunity to exhibit their work.
As the subject, she chose Kiama’s iconic Daisy The Decorated Cow, seen outside the Old Fire Station Art Gallery in the main street, where the week-long interactive event was also held.
Those who went through the Expressive Art Experience Studio in term three painted a cow on canvas and gained free entry into the competition, with the general public also encouraged to enter.
It resulted in more than 50 entries from about 40 artists aged from eight years and up within three categories – ages eight to 12, 13-18 years and 18-plus.
“Then for the interactive part, we had a People’s Choice Award over the course of the week,” she said.
“Everyone who walked into the fire station over that week got to choose their favourite artwork.
“It was brilliant, because I’ve been in the fire station many times, and what happens is people walk in, they have a look around, and then they walk out.
“By giving them the piece of paper and a pencil and asking them to choose, some people were there for 15 to 20 minutes because that piece of paper was so important.”
However, she said there was a clear overall winner – Boris, the artwork by 15-year-old Isla Downs.
“He [Boris] took out 15 per cent of the votes every day, so it didn’t leave much for the rest of us,” she said, laughing.
“It was definitely a standout, and because she put a million-dollar price tag on it, it just raised so much interest.
“We would have had a heart attack had someone come in and said: ‘I’m actually willing to pay’.”
She said she loved giving students the full art experience, getting them to choose a name for their artwork, putting a price on it, submitting that information when they entered the competition and category winners receiving a cash prize.
However, Isla was not keen on putting a price on Boris in fear someone would buy it.
“Isla said, ‘Well, mine’s not for sale’. I said, ‘Of course, everything’s for sale,’” Michelle said.
“I said, ‘What if someone came in and offered you $300?’ and she said, ‘No. A million’. That’s how it became a million dollars.”
She said the kids loved picking a price for their work, often choosing between $20 and $80 and then seeing their parents buy the artwork.
“They just loved being able to see their artwork hanging on a wall that’s not just the family home – it’s somewhere quite significant. Over the course of the week, we had 1578 people come through the fire station and vote.”
Voting wasn’t the only interactive part of the week, with a drop-in art class allowing people to grab a canvas and paint what they wanted.
“It was a lovely way to connect with the community. We had two kids who came back three days in a row, and some kids came and painted two or three canvases at a time,” she said.
“There’s a massive need for more accessible art in our community.”
Michelle’s daughter Tiffany Springett also painted the Daisy the Decorated Cow that stands outside the fire station for the celebration week, which featured Kiama’s blowhole, lighthouse, green rolling hills and town centre.
She’s now organising to run it again next year, though admits she’s done with cow paintings.
“I don’t think I could encourage any of the kids to paint another cow,” she said, laughing.
The paintings are now housed in the Kiama Council chambers until the end of the year and can be viewed online.
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