We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of NSW stands.

Winner: Trustees' Watercolour Prize 2018

Phillip Edwards Glory be, water tree

watercolour and mixed media on paper

121.5 x 96.5 cm

Have you ever felt drawn to a location? Mount Buffalo, in central Victoria, is the place for me. Glory be, water tree was documented on a five-hour snow hike in late July. On the cusp of spring, the snow had begun to melt, with rivulets flowing, pools of free and frozen water, and a peaceful stillness. My attraction to Mount Buffalo is its stillness – a place of pure distraction, not of day-to-day things but to myself… my essence… with feet solidly planted amongst other life. To let yourself ‘be’ is to love oneself.

Phillip Edwards, 2018