The competition, held nationally, encouraged artists of all levels to celebrate the quality and diversity of Indigenous painting.

Ms Davison’s work, titled “Little Doonooch” (Owl) used a combination of a traditional colour palette in a contemporary style.

Ms Davison values the importance of educating people on Aboriginal culture, and paints to tell traditional stories and life occurrences.

“I was driving through Kianga and spotted a little owl on the side of the road which was very beautiful because of the different shades of brown, so I went home and painted it from memory,” Ms Davison said.

Winning the Honourable Mention Award was a very positive experience for Ms Davison and she was grateful for the recognition.

“I have been painting for a long time and I still get surprised to hear that people like my work.”

MAX Employment Narooma Placement Consultant Lynda Loughran said it was exciting to have a local recognised for their talent.

“The attention to detail in Cheryl’s artwork is phenomenal. She’s a very talented lady.”

“One of our staff members from Head Office in Brisbane agrees with me – when they saw a photo of the artwork, they liked it so much that they decided to purchase the original.”

Major Prize Winner was awarded to Roslyn Sullivan from Kalgoorlie, WA for her artwork “Seven Sisters”, and People’s Choice was awarded to Allan McKenzie from Griffith, NSW for his entry “Marshlands”.