The emotional nuances and expressions of animals will be showcased at the longest established art show in the Blue Mountains through the works of internationally recognised artist Sharon Moroney.
The professional artist's work will be displayed at Springwood Art Show alongside pieces created by other established and emerging artists throughout the August 2-4 weekend.
The annual art show will feature more than 400 pieces of original art from more than 120 predominantly local artists and is an opportunity for them to showcase their work to shrewd investors and art collectors as well as casual buyers.
As well as painting, sculpture and photography, the art show will include a range of quality artisan crafts such as leather handbags, jewellery, woodwork and textiles.
Held at Springwood High School and co-ordinated by the Parents & Citizens Association (P&C), the event directly supports students of the school with 25 per cent of all sales of artworks and crafts, and all money raised from admission, cafe and raffle used to buy educational resources.
Generous local and corporate sponsors will ensure a prize pool of more than $5000 which, this year, includes categories for portraiture, landscape and a viewers' choice, along with a new still life category and the coveted $1500 Rose Lindsay Award.
This year's show will be judged by photographer Ben Pearse, landscape painter Corinne Loxton and mixed media artist Tim Newman.
Meanwhile featured artist Sharon Moroney has been drawing "for as long as I can remember".
"My early memories are of collecting any scrap of clean white paper - from the cardboard inside shirt boxes to a roll of butchers paper given to me by a generous relative, to draw on.
"This memory still stays with me - I still love the look of fresh new white paper. Art has been a part of my life in one form or another ever since."
She began her professional artistic career as an animator at Hanna Barbara Australia in her early 20s then at Burbank Studios which specialised in full-length animated feature films for television such as Wind in the Willows and other classics, and freelancing for Disney "which to me was the realisation of a dream".
Moroney's work has appeared in the American hardcover publication Art Journey- Portraits and Figures and the French The Art of Watercolour magazine.
She was a featured in Australian Artist magazine in May and her work called The Vanishing#2 has also been chosen to appear in this year's American hardcover publication Splash 21 (North Light Books).
"I love to paint and draw people: I find portraits one of the most challenging subjects but also the most rewarding. To capture the essence of someone in a painting is extremely satisfying.
"I find it no different with animals. It is the nuance of expression or emotion that I search to find, capture and communicate."
Moroney works with "any media that I feel adds to the subject" and has recently combined graphite, charcoal, watercolour and pastel in her work, exploring the traditional media used slightly untraditionally to add elements of the unexpected to common images.
She is currently working on a series of paintings of endangered animals which allows her to combine art with conservation, an emotional passion.
"It is challenging and also satisfying to be able to get the subject to tell their story through painting or drawing and to engage the viewer.
"My goal is to communicate an idea or a message in my work, to hopefully evoke a feeling that is similar to my own when I see the subject."
P&C president Elaine Tjoelker said: "Wow - Hanna Barbara, Australian Artist and Disney. We are honoured and privileged to have Sharon's heartwarming work showcased at our school. It is this high calibre of talent that makes Springwood Art Show such a 'must see' year after year."
School principal Dr Mark Howie said: "High profile artists such as Sharon generously hanging their work alongside the emerging talent of our students and other young artists encourages and inspires them."
Springwood Art Show will be held at Springwood High School, Grose Road, Faulconbridge, from August 2 to 4, with an official opening program on the Friday evening and activities and a café throughout the weekend. Go to springwoodartshow.org.au for more information.
