Aspiring artist Rosie Price didn't need to look far to find inspiration for her entry in the Young Dobell art competition.
The year 10 Hunter School of Performing Arts student just looked inside her own family and to her grandmother and Order of Australia recipient Dr Jennifer Barnes.
Rosie's painting Super Grandma was recognised on Sunday as the winning entry in the 15 and 16 year-old portrait category at the Young Dobell art competition and exhibition unveiling at Lake Macquarie's Museum of Art and Culture yapang.
"I chose my grandma because she's very inspirational," Rosie said, standing next to a proud Dr Barnes.
Many of her grandmother's accomplishments in music, academia and life were represented in the artwork.
These included butterflies because Dr Barnes starred as Madame Burtterfly for Opera Australia; a pink pin to honour her successful battle against breast cancer; and a maths board to reference her grandmother's Bachelor of Mathematics, Master of Music and PhD.
"She was one of the only women in the class," Rosie said.
"The frangipanis down at the bottom are there because when I was little, Grandma's house had a huge frangipani tree. A lot of memories there.
"Her stance [in the painting] is like she's proud. She's done a lot of amazing things. I wanted to do a powerful woman in my life."
Dr Barnes said she was touched by her granddaughter's artwork.
"It's incredible," Dr Barnes said. "I just hope, Rosie, that you get to live your life the way you want to, because I've been fortunate enough to find the people around me to support me and let me do things."
Stockton's Florence Jones found inspiration from a completely foreign source for her painting, Princesses Sister, which won the 17- and 18-year-old portrait category.
Last year the 18-year-old travelled to the African country of Malawi with her school, St Philips Christian College, for a two-week service trip.
There she met a young woman in a village.
"I actually never fully understood her name, but I understood her sister's name, which was Princess," Florence said.
"So I just recognised her as Princess's sister. But every time I'd go to this village, she'd find me, and there were 100 kids in the village, and she would end up always coming back to me.
"She always wore my hat as well, so I made that in the artwork. It was quite special. When we left, she was like holding my hand in the bus, so I found a connection with her."
Florence took a photograph of the Malawi woman and then painted the work at home.
"I wanted to capture the depth of the emotion in her eyes, but also the kindness as well," she said.
The Young Dobell art competition and exhibition features more than 200 artworks by artists aged five to 18 from the Hunter and Central Coast. Entries were across the categories of portrait, landscape and pets.
The contest was judged by esteemed Newcastle artist and Archibald Prize finalist, Michael Bell.
"The great thing about the exhibition is that it encourages young artists to show us the most important things to them in their lives," Mr Bell said.
"The young artists have painted their mums, dads, granddads and grandmothers. Their love of their family pets and the deep love for them are evident in the show."
