Revealing the diversity of artistic passion and talent in the district, an exceptional list of winners were announced.

“Stormy Pastoral’ was the name of the $5000  winning piece – a striking oil landscape painting depicting a storm approaching cattle grazing over pasture by Maitland artist Graham Cox.

Judge Anne McLaughlin from Maitland Regional Gallery said there was a lot of elements that drew her to Graham’s winning piece.

“To me there is a lot happening here, a lot of drama and tension – dramatic light and exquisite purple displayed so delicately,” she said.

“It was extremely hard deciding on winners, there are some very high quality pieces with years and years of fine honing skills evident here,” she said.

“There is a lot of intriguing work  – what I look for when I’m walking around an art gallery is a piece that pulls me back.

“And, art pulls you back for all sorts of different reasons.”

A fine selection of local art was displayed with husband and wife duo Paul and Sue Adams both walking away with first prizes for their categories.

Sue Adams was handed first prize for the Local Art category for her painting ‘Scarf Knitter’.

While Paul Adams received first prize for the Ceramics and Sculptures category for a stunning blue ceramic piece named 'Chun Jar'.

“The colour, shape and form were in beautiful proportion for this classic, ceramic piece,” Anne McLaughlin commented.

The exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 4pm every day until Saturday September 16 and is open until 1pm on Sunday September 17.

Full list of prize winners and highly commended:

Section 1 Open Graham Cox ‘Stormy Pastoral’

Section 2 Figurative/Portraiture Madeleine Szymanski ‘Winter Beach’

Section 3 Watercolour Kay McFarlane Smith ‘All About the Light’

Section 4 Print Drawing Fran Wachtel ‘Log Jam’

Section 5 Miniature Susan Joyce ‘Winter Days Macquarie River’

Section 6 Pastel Sandra Walker ‘Outback Rock Formation’

Section 7 Local Sue Adams ‘Scarf Knitter’

Section 8 Ceramics/Sculpture Paul Adams ‘Chun Jar’

Section 1 Open Charlotte Drake-Brockman, ‘Boat’

Section 1 Open Eugenia Dunlevie ‘High Aspect View, Cornwall’

Section 2 Figurative/Portraiture Norma Johnston ‘Old Salt’

Section 3 Watercolour Noeline Millar ‘Happy Hour Plein Air’

Section 3 Watercolour Pat Winter ‘Sunset’

Section 4 Print Drawing Marie Lunney ‘Daybreak’

Section 5 Miniature Betty Lambley ‘Wetlands at Dusk’

Section 6 Pastel Colina Grant ‘Time and Tide’

Section 7 Local Charlotte Drake Brockman ‘Other People’s Devils’

Section 8 Ceramics Sculpture Will Maguire ‘Busy Gardener’