Three artists from our region were awarded for their efforts in turning trash into treasure, including Elka Trindall and Christine Young from Coonamble and Donna Pumpa from Nyngan. 

Their artworks were displayed the recent 2024 Waste 2 Art Regional Showcase in Parkes. 

The Waste 2 Art competition is meant to inspire people to reuse items they would normally throw away and give them a second life. 

This year 14 councils in the NetWaste Region participated in the competition, with over 120 entries were displayed at exhibition.

The motto was 'packaging', inspiring candidates to repurpose cardboard, paper, plastic, tin and other art materials. 

Eight-year-old Elka Trindall, daughter of Outback Arts CEO Jamie-Lea Trindall, won the Highly Commended Award for her Primary Functional Entry, the 'School of Fun' dollhouse.

The School of Fun

The budding artist made her winning artwork from milk and egg cartons and wool within three hours after school. 

Elka's mother said she made her first painting before she could walk when she accidentally rolled over into the paint her mother was using at the time. 

"It was the first time she ever rolled over," her mother said. 

Donna Pumpa, who wasn’t in Parkes for the exhibition, said she made her piece out of shearers' drill bits and horseshoes, with the loop taken from the metal ring of a wine barrel. 

Her artwork, 'Under the Sea' won the community 2D Highly Commended recognition. 

Donna Pumpa's Under the Sea

Donna has lived around the Nyngan area since December 1988, and the environment is close to her heart. 

"I didn't expect to go through, it was such a surprise," she said.

"I wanted to get across just a little bit of thought about how important our waterways and our fish in the environment are. 

"I use a lot of horseshoes in my sculptures, it just makes the right size with fish.

"I wanted to show people what a pristine environment could look like, so it was like a glimpse into the river system." 

"I think the management of the river system can be improved. There's always room for improvement, especially with the carp. There needs to be a more consistent to rid the waterways of them," she said. 

Coonamble's Christine Young took the Curator's Award for her sculpture 'Aegis of Medusa.' 

Christine Young's Aegis of Medusa

To create it, she used materials including clothesline wire and foam pieces from furniture packaging, as well as plastic wrappers from period pads, food and drink packaging, cardboard boxes, newspaper, paint and glitter. 

Outback Arts has already announced next year's theme will be the 'Year of the Toys'. Participants are encouraged to dig through their old toy boxes and find something they are able to repurpose.