Paul McDonald Smith OAM FVAS FRSA

Paul started painting in his early teens influenced by the work of Australian artist Sir William Dargie. Since then he has made full-time a career of painting in the tradition of tonal impressionism, mostly in oil.

Paul studied Fine Art at RMIT, undertook extensive private study (1973-79) and received the 1986 Camberwell Travel Scholarship for European Study.

Exhibiting since 1974, Paul has conducted painting classes and workshops since 1977. He has judged innumerable art competitions throughout 5 states of Australia and is frequently invited to lecture and demonstrate to art societies.

Known for his paintings of flowers and still life, Paul’s work includes landscape, portrait and figure painting. He has won many awards including the “VAS Artist of the Year” in 2001 and is represented in Public, Institutional and Private collections throughout Australia. Awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2005 for services to the Visual Arts as a painter and lecturer.

Past president of the Twenty Melbourne Painters Society he is a Fellow, past president and Honorary Life Member of the Victorian Artists Society.

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts London, Chairman of the A.M.E. Bale Scholarship 2003-2014, he is past president of the Glen Eira Cheltenham Art Group, Life Member of the Box Hill Art Group and Honorary member of the Hobsons Bay Art Society.

Author of Mavericks and Masters - the 100 year history of the TMPS, his bibliography includes: Who’s Who in Australia, State Library of Victoria - Oral History Interview Archive DVD recording, VAS Journal, many editorial, biographical, curatorial and instructional publications.

Lin Richards SSVAPS - Photography Judge

I began taking photos at age 14 way back in 1960 using a very basic Kodak  Box Brownie camera  using Black and White film for the first few years until I graduated to a German-made folding bellows camera which then opened up several possibilities for improving on basic skills already learnt. Like many photographers I am largely self-taught, and  eventually I began using a 35mm camera, specialising in taking slides rather than prints. Over time I kept updating my film cameras until I finally entered the world of digital photography about ten years ago, and kept on updating my digital cameras to the stage where I now have a full-frame camera. I absolutely love digital photography and the way it has opened so many new and exciting avenues for improving my photographic endeavours. My main interests are Landscape/Seascape, Churches and stained glass, historic buildings, architecture and lighthouses.

I have been an active photography judge for nearly 30 years, and while judging mainly at Club level, I have also judged at several Interclub competitions and also a National Level on several occasions. From time to time I have been asked to present illustrated lectures to clubs on various subjects.

I experience a great deal of satisfaction from my judging work, as it enables me to regularly view other photographer’s work, and to pass on advice for improving work that is not of a good standard due to inexperience on the part of the maker of the image. I have never used destructive comments, as I believe that judging should be all about encouragement and constructive comments to better assist people to take better images.

I have been a member of the Mornington Peninsula Camera Club for 36 years, spending some 16 of those years as Club President. I also spent some 18 years as a member of the Executive of the Victorian Association of Photographic Societies with most of that time spent administering the Badges and Awards portfolio.

I have also judged at a few country shows over time and I recently judged the Knox Rotary Art Show Photography Section and I feel very honoured to have been invited to judge the 45th Chelsea Art Show.