Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Hinchinbrook Birdlife Youth Award category Winner, Hamish Darveniza: Wompoo. Photo credit: Victoria Velton
By Victoria Velton
A Wompoo Pigeon's vivid plumage provided the inspiration for Hamish's winning entry in the Youth Award at the recent Hinchinbrook Birdlife Awards.
“I live in a tropical area, and I like tropical birds.” Hamish said.
“The Wompoo Pigeon caught my eye because of the beautiful colours and its really unique look.”
However, it was the young artist's treatment of the subject that made the painting stand out.
Hamish created a blurred background using circles of different colours, which brings full focus to the bird’s colours and allows it to emerge sharply from its surroundings.
“I made different colours and then sort of just placed them in circles around the canvas, and it made the effect of blurriness,” Hamish explained.
“It's something new that I've tried, and I'd like to experiment with it more.”
The finished work came together quickly with Hamish completing the painting over two days. Hamish hopes the award will be another step towards building a career in art.
While he has painted at school, much of Hamish's artistic development has happened at home, making him largely self-taught.
“I haven't gone to any actual courses or anything, or had any proper sort of teaching,” he said.
“I feel like it's what I'm meant to do. I've been painting since I was a kid, and I really enjoy it. It's my passion,” he said.
“I'd love to keep entering competitions and growing my name, and hopefully eventually have exhibitions around Australia.”
“I was really grateful to receive the award,” Hamish said, “It showed that people liked my artwork, and it's going to keep pushing me to keep creating.”
Animals and landscapes remain his favourite subjects, particularly when he can draw inspiration from his experiences travelling around Australia.
His artwork is already finding an audience online, with more than 80,000 followers on Instagram. Hamish said social media had opened up new opportunities, including an upcoming collection of his work.
For those wanting to follow his artistic journey, Hamish shares his finished works and painting process on Instagram at @hgd.creates.
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes. Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Life Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Life Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2026 Life Publishing Group Ltd.
.jpg)
