The ArcOpen Painting Challenge for 2024 has delivered - it was amazing how much effort had been put in by all the participants in presenting a spectacular showcase of miniature display painting artistry.
With more than 200 entries across the four distinct categories —Single Miniature, Unit or Squad, Large Miniature, and Diorama — we witnessed a field of breathtaking entries and an event that has helped support and inspire the Australian Miniature Painting scene.
Everyone who participated is a winner in their own right. The challenge is one aimed at participants to push themselves, striving for and achieving improvement and too reach new levels in their own personal painting journey.
Our judges reward that effort with entries achieving Gold, Silver or Bronze Medals as well a Commendation Certificate for those deserving of recognition for their efforts. The Open format of the challenge is certainly one that we feel best reflects the recognition of personal achievement and growth.
We’ll have coverage of all the categories to recognise and celebrate everyone’s participation, but there are two awards that we wish to recognise here as they represent two outstanding entries that have been chosen as the the champions of ArcOpen 2023 having risen above this remarkable field to achieve these top awards.
Best at Show: A Triumph of Mastery
The highly sought-after Best at Show award represents the pinnacle of miniature craftsmanship, a title bestowed upon the entry deemed the most exceptional across all the separate categories.
This year, the judges - Victoria Lamb, Jared Clifford, Peter Overton, and our esteemed ArcOpen Sponsor Mitch Toranto from Addicted to Ink - faced the daunting task of selecting a winner from the outstanding pool of talent.
Andrew Buckley received the Best at Show award for his Large Model Category Gold Medal entry - Descent Part One. A Warhammer Age of Sigmar Miniature from the Cities of Sigmar Range - the Fusil-Major on Ogor WarHulk. Which he turned from an impressively sculpted table top model into an evocative and moody display piece.
It’s a mesmerizing artwork with Andrew’s unparalleled display of skill and attention to detail lavished up every part of the model.
As you view the intricacies of Andrew’s masterpiece in the images presented here we hope that everyone can appreciate what sets this creation apart and why it stood out in the eyes of our distinguished judging team.
Andrew is a key member of the team that presents Crimson Brush, run at CanCon, Canberra in January. So ArcOpen is the first of the local events this year on which he has been able to focus his efforts and present such an amazingly commanding and finely crafted piece. Congratulations for earning the ArcOpen Best at Show for 2024.
People's Choice: More than a Celebration of Popular Appeal
While the judges deliberated on technical brilliance for Best at Show, the People's Choice award recognized the entry that resonated most with the community.
QR codes around the venue led visitors and participants alike to our online voting form where they could nominate their favourite piece across all four categories of the event.
This accolade of People’s Choice for 2024 goes to Trent Denison’s Neon Knights.
A body of work drawn together in a single piece that not only impressed by achieving a Gold Medal in the Open-Display category, but also resonated profoundly with the most number of fans.
So let’s look at some closer images of Trent's spectacular creation.
He was certainly able to capture people’s attention with the overwhelming scope and scale of his entry.
It was also the largest entry in the competition - comprising what could easily have been presented as nine individual pieces, which Trent then posing them within a detailed framework of vignettes to create three tiers of connected diorama - it was a massive effort.
But ArcOpen is a painting competition at it’s heart and across such a huge canvas the quality and detailing of
each of those elements made Neon Knights a truly triumphant example of presentation and display painting brilliance - allowing it to capture the most attention and votes of the people.
Congratulations Trent for a truly amazing effort and a well deserved accolade. If you weren’t aware Trent is the coordinator of Crimson Brush, and so he join’s Andrew in representing that not only are they great supporters of the Australian Miniature Display Painting Community but active and extraordinary talents in their own right.
ArcOpen 2024 has proven to be a melting pot of both existing as well as new and emerging talent - it’s been a gathering together and provided an opportunity where artists push boundaries and redefine the possibilities of miniature display painting in Australia. Stay tuned as we unveil the complete detailed presentations of the award winners across all categories, showcasing the diversity and excellence that define the world of ArcOpen 2024 - a gallery of this year’s entries will arrive shortly.
Special Thanks need to go out to our imaging team for 2024 - Rory Beeforth and Imsay (Imran Asssad) - taking all of the amazing photography that allows us to present people’s display pieces in the most amazing ways possible. Also, huge thanks to Rob for treating every miniature with care as he wrangled them between photography station and into the Displays.
We would also like to thank our sponsors for making this year’s event easier to run and rewarding not just for our champions but the widest group of participants. They include Addikted to Ink, Let’s Play Games, Artis Opus, Taro Model Maker, and Stone Beard Miniatures.
