The Daisy Spring Festival drew more than 250 visitors each day to enjoy the local art on display.

Held by Expressive Art Experiences at The Old Fire Station from 25 September to 1 October, the second annual festival celebrated creativity and connection.

A key part of the event is the painting competition, where everyone paints the same subject and the best artwork wins. Last year it was cows, this year - ducks and chickens.

“We decided no one wanted to paint another cow, which is fair enough, and the whole place was filled with ducks and chickens. It was great fun,” said Expressive Art Experiences owner Michelle Springett.

“We had over 250 people on average come through every day to vote, which was pretty awesome considering it was just the beginning of the school holidays.”

Winners of the category awards included: in the primary school age group, Owynn Naughten with a painting titled The Wise Duck; in the teenage category, Isla Downes (winning for the second year in a row) with Sea-saw and Yo-yo; and in the adult category, Anne Geenen with Henny Penny.

(Left) Michelle Springett with the winners and honourable mention prizes from the category awards, (Right) The two winners of the people's choice awards. Photos: Michelle Springett

The People’s Choice Award was hotly contested.

“Two paintings ran neck and neck on the last two days. I ended up just closing it off at three o’clock and calling it a draw. So it was myself and another lady, Catherine Dobson, who is a local artist,” said Springett.

“She painted a really cute little rainbow duck, which all the kids voted for. And mine was a quite realistic mallard duck, which all the adults voted for. So it was quite funny. 

“You’d watch the family come in and the adults would vote for mine, and the kids would vote for Catherine. So yeah, we just split the prize money, split the credit.”

But the exhibition wasn’t about the competition, Springett says - it was about bringing the community together in appreciation of art.

“It’s all a bit of fun. It brings the community together. People come in, they love the idea of having a theme where everyone paints the same. They spend ages in the actual fire station trying to decide what to vote for,” she said.

“They really take a closer look at the art and develop a much deeper appreciation, which is really what we want. We want people to go around and around three or four times before they place their vote.”

The winning paintings: (Left) Mal the Mallard duck by Michelle Springett, (Middle, top) Henny Penny by Anne Greenen, (Middle, bottom) Sea-saw and Yo-yo - Isla Downes, (Right, top) Mr Duckleberry by Kathryn Dobson (Right, bottom) The Wise Duck - Owynn Naughten. Photos: Michelle Springett

Also on offer were drop-in watercolour days where people could simply come and paint, as well as other sessions where participants could buy a canvas and stay as long as they wanted.

“And people came back day after day. One girl came back four days in a row. So I think it’s definitely something we need in school holidays,” said Springett.

She is very appreciative of The Old Fire Station and the art centre it has become in Kiama.

“The Old Fire Station is legendary. There’s no greater feeling than lifting the big timber beam to open the doors and swing them open - and push the cow out. It’s a great space, and people know it as an art space now, so they’re always coming to see what’s in there,” she said.