By Maddison Howell
A heartfelt tribute to her 94-year-old great-grandfather has earned Shepparton student Abbie Higgins the secondary school category award in the Young Archie Shepparton competition, celebrating both her artistic talent and the special bond she shares with her Pop.
For Abbie, the portrait was about more than winning an award, it was a chance to honour someone who has always supported her and encouraged her love of art, and because of this, she said she felt he deserved an artwork dedicated to him.
“I chose my Pop because he’s a very important person in my life,” Abbie said.
“He’s 94 and he’s been married to my Nan for 71 years, they have six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, and he’s always been there for me and my family, and never complained, he’s always supported and encouraged my art.”
Created using plasticine on paper, the portrait was a labour of love, with Abbie even receiving a helping hand from a friend during the creative process when her cold hands caused the plasticine to harden, so her friend warmed it up to make it easier to spread.
When Abbie discovered she had won, she was shocked, but her Pop was quick to share the exciting news.
“He was very excited and very proud, he told everyone in his nursing home,” she said.
Abbie’s art teacher, Aleisa Miksad, who has exhibited at SAM on multiple occasions, said the All Saints Anglican School community was thrilled to see her work recognised.
“We were all very proud of her here at All Saints, Abbie is just going from strength to strength with her art and we do see a very bright future for her,” she said.
Ms Miksad said competitions such as Young Archie were particularly valuable for students in regional communities, giving young artists the chance to showcase their abilities and imagine a future in the creative industries.
“In regional communities it’s really vital, because it has always been the case, having opportunities like this, it’s a future that is very hard to imagine if you don’t have these kinds of opportunities,” she said.
For Abbie, the award has already made a difference, giving her greater confidence in her own abilities.
“Winning the award made me look at my art differently, realise that I actually am good at this and it gave me more confidence in myself,” she said.
Despite never having formal art lessons, Abbie said creating was something she loved because it helped her relax and discover what she could achieve.
With encouragement from Ms Miksad and her mum, she took a chance on entering the competition, despite feeling nervous.
Her advice to other young artists is simple: “Just do it.”
“I was nervous and didn’t think I’d win and I entered anyway and won, you just have to try because you never know what might happen,” she said.
For Abbie, the award is recognition of her growing talent, but her portrait’s most meaningful achievement may be the smile it brought to her Pop’s face.
