Jenna Pickering: Turning Rust into a Masterpiece in a Ghost Town
A Self-Taught Artist with a Sustainable Edge
Jenna Pickering, a 26-year-old self-taught artist from Tom Price, is currently the artist-in-residence at Cossack, a historic ghost town in Western Australia's Pilbara region. She uses found objects such as rusted tin and wood as bases for her oil paintings, which she says are more sustainable and have more character than standard canvases. Pickering aims to paint as many local faces as possible during her month-long stay.
"Using found objects is more sustainable and gives the work more character than standard canvases."
From Community Events to Full-Time Art
Her social media following has grown to over 100,000. She was a finalist in ABC's Portrait Artist of the Year and won multiple art prizes, which motivated her to become a full-time artist three months ago, leaving her role as a community events coordinator.
The Cossack Art Awards: A Regional Powerhouse
The artist-in-residence program is part of the Cossack Art Awards, which began in 1993. The awards now feature over 300 paintings in century-old stone buildings and have a total prize pool of $97,000, making them the richest acquisitive art award in regional Australia. Pickering was the 2023 award winner.
Record-Breaking Sales and a Growing Hub
The City of Karratha reported that over 80 works were sold in the first three days. Mayor Daniel Scott stated that the region has become a renowned artistic hub. This year's overall winner was Jenny Butt's Nyurnma (Burnt Country). The exhibition runs until August 9.