FIONA COTTON PAINTINGS

About
Fiona Cotton is a contemporary realist painter working across multiple genres with a particular interest in portraiture and still life. She has a degree in the History of Fine Art and has studied traditional painting techniques in the intensive programs at the Florence Academy of Art and the Charles H Cecil Studios in Florence. She has won awards and been a finalist in many prizes both nationally and internationally, winning an honourable mention award in 2023 in the International Almenara Art Prize in Spain. In 2024, her work was selected for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London as well as for in the 17th International ARC Salon in the USA and the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, Australia. Her work is in private collections in UK, Europe and Australia and is featured in Still Life by Amber Creswell Bell (2021). Her main gallery is AK Bellinger Gallery
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In my still life work, using traditional techniques and painting from life, I like to create images of things I love either because they invoke memories of people or places I hold dear or because of their intrinsic beauty which cries out to be painted. In uncertain times globally, my intention is to create a quiet space where meditative thoughts and memories can flourish through contemplation of an image rich with colour and light. I like to paint portraits to show not just a likeness of each person but also to illustrate something of their personality and their back story. So many of us carry such interesting stories within us which I try to capture in each portrait.
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AWARDS
2024 The Royal Institute of Oil Painters exhibition, finalist
2024 Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, Finalist
2024 Almenara Art Prize, Online exhibition
2024 17th Art Renewal Centre Salon, semi-finalist
2023 Honourable Mention, Almenara Art Prize, Spain
2023 M16 Drawing Prize, Finalist
2022 16th Art Renewal Centre Salon, USA, Finalist
2022 AME Bale Portrait Prize, Finalist
2022 Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Semi-Finalist
2022 Darling Portrait Prize, Semi Finalist
2022 National Emerging Art Prize (NEAP), Finalist
2021 Lethbridge 20,000 Art Prize, Bienarte Winner
2020 15th Art Renewal Centre Salon, USA, Semi-finalist
2020 AME Bale Art Prize, Finalist
2020 Lethbridge 20,000 Art Award, Finalist
2019 Eutick Memorial Still life Award, Finalist
2018 AME Bale Art Prize, Finalist
2018 Percival Portrait Prize, Finalist
2017 Rick Amor Self Portrait Prize, Finalist
2017 Ravenswood Art Prize, Finalist
2016 Mosman Art Prize, Finalist
2015 EMSLA Still Life Award, Finalist​​