Glenmore Park’s Blake Raymond has been recognised as a high performing visual arts student, with his artwork chosen to be a part of the prestigious ArtExpress 2018 art exhibition, whilst also being awarded the S&S Creativity Student Award. 

Blake’s artwork titled ‘Flight_24/7’ depicts Little Hartley via an overlook through the medium of lino carving and printmaking and was nominated through its submission whilst he was studying Visual Arts in his HSC at St Dominics College last year. 

The talented artists’ work was chosen by the curators of the NSW Art Gallery, Orange Regional Gallery and Manning Regional Gallery to be shown in ArtExpress. It is 1 of 40 artworks chosen to be exhibited in the NSW Art Gallery, with 9,097 art students submitting their bodies of work. 

“My inspiration for the work was to both depict the beauty of the forms within the natural landscape and to raise awareness of the impacts that the Badgerys Creek airport may have on it” explained Blake. 

“I would like to thank my teacher Steven Lewis who recommended me to do lino carving for my body of work and guiding me throughout the six years I had him. I was also honoured to be chosen by Emma Husar MP and her team for the 2017 Community Christmas Card, which gave me the opportunity to meet Sydney artist Jamie Preisz” he ended. 

Blake has plans to continue his art as a hobby in the future, with the possibility of incorporating it into his career as he pursues architecture.