A Triumph of Talent and Community Spirit - Crimson Brush 2024

In its third year, Crimson Brush at CanCon in Canberra underwent significant changes that elevated it to new heights within the Australian display painting scene. 

The most noteworthy change was the addition of a Masters level, creating a platform for previous winners, highly placed artists, and those daring to push their limits to be compared against the best in the country.

Alongside the Masters, Crimson Brush established the Standard category — a welcoming space for painters beginning their competition journey or who didn’t feel that they had reached the point where they were at Masters level.

But it was a testament to inclusivity and encouragement for those building confidence in their skills.

This year saw a staggering 296 entries from nearly 100 individual artists, making it the largest field yet. What unfolded was not just a competition but a celebration of the growing quality of miniatures and the numerous accolades earned by passionate painters.

Crimson Brush's triumph lies in its mission to be the premier display painting event in Australia and a focal point for the painting community. For me I was attending the event for the second time. And I can tell you the sense of camaraderie, fellowship, and the burgeoning sense of community were palpable.

Over the past 12 months, new events have come onto the scene, painting groups across the East Coast of Australia have thrived, which has seen an explosion of connectivity and collaboration. From the Guild’s Inn establishing a Painting Challenge Weekend inspiring sharing, workshops and mentorship was held in July in Sydney. Then there’s the Melbourne Figure Painting Collective, who will be running Studio de Arc seeing them having only recently been established to now contributing to ArcFest alongside ArcOpen which will start year two in April.  

There's a dynamic upsurge of community leaders who aspire to uplift and develop every participant dedicated to enhancing the Australian display painting scene.

Organizer Trent Denison, along with the dedicated team—Andrew Buckley, Ben Layton, and Storm Hajnal, as well as sponsors: Stonebeard Miniatures, Neko Galaxy and Inu Kingdoms, Inkstone Printing, Specmod Models and The Dirty Paint Water Society as well as a host of volunteers all contributed to this phenomenal event's success through meticulous planning and tireless efforts. 

Crimson Brush's live stream, including interviews, online painting tutorials, and the highlight—live-streamed judging—made the event accessible to all, even those unable to attend in person.

The esteemed judging panel, featuring Dave Colwell @davecolwell725 and Kyle Morgan @thekylem added to the event's prestige. Joined by guest judge Will Brightley from Siege Studios in the UK @will_paints, who added Crimson Brush to his Australian Tutorial tour. This team meticulously evaluated each piece - deciding which would receive gold, silver, bronze, or commendation based on their collective expertise.

Crimson Brush 2024 was not merely a competition - what we saw in Canberra this year was a celebration of talent, passion, and the flourishing spirit of the Australian painting community. With plans to expand the space of Crimson Brush next year, which will allow even more interaction to be a part of the event augers well for Crimson Brush to be even more successful in 2025.

Congratulations to the Crimson Brush team and every artist who contributed to making this year's event a resounding success—your dedication to the craft echoes across the vibrant landscape of display painting in Australia.

Special thanks to Trent and the Crimson Brush team for allowing us to cover their event in this article - plus for the privilege in giving us permission to share images of their well deserving group of winners.