North Rothbury artist Linda Lunnon finalist for 2022 National Capital Art Prize

Lunnon is among 129 artists on the shortlist for the art prize, with her scratchboard portrait - titled Carry Me - selected in the open category.

The artwork was inspired by a photograph Lunnon's husband Jason took of her and daughter Annabelle - then aged almost four - on a walk through Denali National Park, Alaska in 2019.

"It celebrates the relatively short but special window of time in which your children are still small enough to carry in your arms," Lunnon said.

"We were a little hesitant about travelling with her at that age, especially given some of the remote areas we visited, but it was the best trip ever.

"She travelled like a champ, and did very well on the trails we walked with minimal fuss.

"We are huge outdoor/nature lovers, and to make the most of it and see all the places we wanted to see, we did need to carry her at times.

"I was going to call it 'Tired little legs' but went with 'Carry me' because that's what she'd say to us when she was ready for a rest.

"I was going to add a few pine trees and trail in the background but after putting it out to a vote on my socials about whether to add background or leave as is, the strong preference was to leave it.

"One of my friends also said 'Leave it, the imagery of mum carrying her in the darkness is everything'. I bloody cried after reading that and knowing what my friend had gone through, so I left it as is.

"I really love that it connects with people on different levels."

Primarily a wildlife and botanical artist, Lunnon has recently started branching out into human portraits, in her preferred medium of scratchboard.

"Scratchboard is a unique medium where a panel or card is covered with a fine, smooth layer of clay and sprayed with black ink. Sharp tools are then used to scratch the ink away to reveal the white clay underneath," she explains.

Lunnon said she was "absolutely bursting at the seams" when she was notified that she was a finalist for the National Capital Art Prize.

"It's very special to have my work sitting alongside so many incredible pieces from all around Australia," she said.

"And any chance I can get to promote scratchboard as a fine art is fantastic, as it's not a common medium and lots of people are fascinated with the process of creating scratchboard works.

"I put my whole heart into creating that one - it was such a wonderful trip, and although it was a bit of a pain at the time, it wasn't long after that trip when she became too heavy to carry for long periods so I'm very thankful for those memories."

The 2022 National Capital Art Prize offers four prizes - Open, First Nations, Sustainability and People's Choice - with a total prize pool of $47,500.

Director and founder Robert Stephens said this year's art prize attracted a quality field of entries.

"We are thrilled to see all the unique, thought-provoking and inspiring artwork across a wide range of styles and mediums," Stephens said.

"Several of Australia's best-known artists, including previous Archibald finalists, have submitted works and some really brilliant pieces have been received from emerging new talent.

"The standard and variety of artworks is amazing. The judging panel really had their work cut out selecting the finalists!"

The exhibition opening and awards night will be held on September 21, and will be open to the public for four weeks at The Fitter's Workshop in Canberra.

Voting for the People's Choice category closes Sunday, September 11 at www.nationalcapitalartprize.com.au.

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