Christine Hill

Since the early 1970s, Christine has been painting the maritime world she knows. Pittwater and the seaside lifestyle of Sydney’s Northern Beaches were her inspiration for many years, and now she lives on the NSW South Coast and now the cliffs and harbours, forests and beaches of that lovely part of the world also feature in her work.

An interesting part of her art practice is working from life – sketching and painting ‘en plein air’ – and although the outdoors can create some tiresome conditions, she says that often the results of a quick line-and-wash sketch please her more than a painting which takes a week!

Some groups of paintings form series describing historic events, especially the adventures of Matthew Flinders and George Bass which have become an illustrated book describing their 1796 voyage in ‘Tom Thumb II’ exploring the coastline between Sydney and the Illawarra region of the NSW South Coast.

Awards & Achievements

• 1st Prize – Wollongong Art Gallery ‘Postcards from the Edge Exhibition

• Highly Commended – Kiwi Watercolour Prize

• Don & Lenore Gray Award – Thirroul Seaside & Arts Festival

• ASMA ‘Working Harbour’ & ‘Artists in Residence’ exhibitions on board Tall Ship James Craig

• Published – illustrations for the book My Thirroul

• 2nd Prize – Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival Art Prize Exhibition

• First Prize – Wollongong City Gallery Seniors Week Exhibition

• Awarded the status of Fellow of the Australian Society of Marine Artists

• Artist-in-Residence – CSIRO Australian National Telescope Facility, Parkes

• Second Prize – Open Section, Narrabri Art Show

• Artist-in-Residence – CSIRO Australian National Telescope Facility, Narrabri

• Second Prize & Merit Award – WetlandCare Australia National Art Competition

• Highly Commended – Shoalhaven Art Society Exhibition

• Wollongong City Gallery acquisition of ‘The Journey of the Tom Thumb II’

• President’s Prize for Excellence – Australian Society of Marine Artists

• Merroogal Women’s Art Prize – Selected for the Travelling Exhibition

• First Prize – Royal Motor Yacht Club Marine Art Exhibition

• Australian Artist magazine articles

• Guest Art Tutor/Lecturer – Orient Lines “SS Crown Odyssey”

• Greeting card set ‘Pittwater’.

• Peter Campbell Award (People’s Choice) Pittwater Arts Society

The Journey of Tom Thumb II

Christine created a series of paintings illustrating the adventures of Matthew Flinders, George Bass and William Martin on the tiny vessel Tom Thumb II exploring the coast south of Port Jackson in 1796. It has now become a book, with narrative and extracts from Flinders’ own journal of the time.