Launceston painter secures $20,000 emerging art prize

The Launceston painter received the honour for her painting Flossed Innocence, a surreal, photo-realistic oil painting depicting a plastic water pistol shooting a puff of pink fairy floss.

Unlike other artists in the state who are inspired by its sublime landscapes, Barron's great muse is processed food.

"Those things had a huge influence on me and I don't want to deny that because people don't think it's good enough for art," Barron told The Examiner in October.

The prize - awarded to an emerging contemporary Tasmanian artist who shows exceptional talent in any medium - was given to the young, Canadian-born artist in Hobart at the opening of the prize's exhibition of finalists in late November

The Henry Jones Art Prize is Tasmania's leading emerging art prize, with two acquisitive prizes in categories of painting and mixed media.

Barron arrived in Tasmania to continue growing her artistic passion after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her early career scheduled exhibitions in Canada.

"I was feeling anxious for a change after being still for so long during the pandemic and Tasmania just seemed so intriguing," Barron said.

"Since arriving here I've been working really hard to establish my arts practice and I've been blown away by how welcoming Tasmania's art community has proven to be."

Effectively self taught, the oil painter has made leaps and bounds since arriving in the island state, with her work having featured locally in the likes of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery's RISE exhibition, Sawtooth ARI and Woolmers Estate.

This year's Henry Jones Art Prize was judged by Australian artist Katy Woodroffe, two-time Glover Art Prize winner David Keeling and the curator of the Glover, Megan Dick.

"What we liked about Barron's work was the risk and reward. For a young artist, it shows courage in developing what we call slow and fast painting," Keeling said.

"It's a very sophisticated image."