Symone Welsh captured the eyes, hearts and votes of her community with a stunning representation of Isabella Falls at the 2025 Cooktown Annual Art Award. Photo: Supplied.
When a life-altering injury brought one Cooktown painter back to her childhood hobby, she had one goal: to step out of her artist grandfather’s shadow.
The spotlight shone on Symone Welsh last week when she was crowned the adult recipient of the 2025 Cooktown Art Award People’s Choice prize.
Ms Welsh said her grandfather, who had an impressive career as a landscape oil painter, had been a huge inspiration for her since she first put paint to paper.
“My grandad often tells people that I did a painting when I was about two years old and could barely pick up a paintbrush, and I did a landscape of Archer Point,” she said.
“I painted the water, the sky, the sun, and some birds, and he said he knew from that moment that I could paint.
“I guess I just watched him and idolised him and his artist career, and just aspired to want to do that.”
Ms Welsh said she had never planned to pursue art as a career path, but when an injury forced her out of her job and studies three years ago, she found herself turning her passion into something more serious.
“I kind of tried to pull all my strengths together and go, what can I do, and art was my biggest background,” she said.
“It’s hard getting out there, and it’s definitely hard stepping out of a great man’s shadow, but it’s been a great journey so far, and the support’s been really overwhelming.
“The recognition, and to be gifted with the [People’s Choice] award, had me feeling completely honoured and absolutely humbled.”
The winner stunned the community with a beautifully intricate acrylic painting of Isabella Falls, with a few hidden animals for viewers to get up close and look for.
“I wanted to add a little quirk in there, too, be cheeky like my grandad, and add some hidden animals in there – just something you can’t get in a photograph,” Ms Welsh explained.
“I kind of wanted to bring people into the painting, to take that step forward and go, ‘oh, is that what I think it is?’”
In the youth category, Alira Auld stole the hearts of Cooktown with a charming watercolour cassowary.
The nine-year-old said she started painting two years ago, and she loved all things colourful and vibrant.
“I did spatters with paintbrush, and drips with water and paint, and merged the colours together – light and dark, and put the light in the dark,” she said.
“Probably my favourite [medium] is watercolours, because they’re easy to spread, and how they merge and how colourful they are.”
Alira Auld’s watercolour cassowary put her first in the eyes of the people. Photo: Supplied.
