 A Dorset artist has won the second annual Underwater Art Award from Dorset Wildlife Trust in association with The Society of Wildlife Artists. Brainchild of DWT's Peter Tinsley, the award provides for an established artist to learn to dive and then to work underwater off the Dorset coast, recording the wildlife of the sea in art. This is the first time that the award has been won by a local artist.
Swanage based Antonia Phillips specialises in work about the sea, bird flight and movement along coastlines. She says: "As my work is about being near the sea; from walks in Purbeck along beach and cliff to the icy seas of the far north, this is a wonderful chance to see how the light and colour change under the water and a challenge to try out new ways of working.
I was pleased to be selected for the 2008 Dorset Wildlife Trust / SWLA Underwater Art Award. I've wanted to work undersea for a long time and my new work for this show will be the result of many hours under the water learning to dive, trying out different media with fish as an audience. I am grateful to both Dorset Wildlife Trust and SWLA for the opportunity!"
Antonia will be sketching and painting from life as she dives under Swanage Pier, known as one of the finest places to see marine wildlife off the Dorset coast. She will be using transparent Perspex so that she can actually see through to what she is painting, and the innovative sketching block will be tied on to prevent it from floating away.
Peter Tinsley, Marine Conservation Officer at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: "I'm delighted that Antonia has won this award - she is clearly fascinated by the sea and the effects of movement and light on water. Communicating the strangeness and splendour of the undersea world to non-divers has always been a challenge - I can't wait to see Antonia's interpretation of a "fishes' eye view" of the natural world.
Antonia's underwater paintings will be shown at The Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2008 at The Mall Galleries in London from 25th September to 4th October.
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