Arty

The artist from St Georges Basin in NSW began thinking about breathing masks and respirators when the recent bushfires were at their worst.

"We spent New Year's Eve dressed in masks and goggles to protect our eyes and lungs from smoke as we stayed to defend our home from potential ember attack," she said.

"It was a scary time for everyone, but particularly it reminded me what an extraordinary job the RFS were doing day after day to keep us all safe. Their courage and comradeship reminded me of the Anzac spirit."

The annual prize is funded by the Gallipoli Memorial Club in Sydney.

Club president John Robertson, who was also one of the judges, said the painting has a "certain prescience", having been painted before the first diagnosed case of coronavirus in Australia.

'The title, Breathe, is perhaps a timely reminder that, in these difficult days, we all need to take a moment to breathe," Mr Robertson said.

He said Alison had been a finalist for the past seven years with a range of works reflecting the club's creed of "loyalty, courage, respect, comradeship and love of country".

This was the first time she had won.

"I've explored different and often quite personal themes for this prize over the last seven years," she said.

"There's always a diverse and interesting range of paintings in the exhibition, so I'm really thrilled to have won this year."

The judges highly commended two works - The Telegram, by Lori Pensini of Boyup Brook, WA, and Major Smith's Petrichor, by Deirdre Bean of Newcastle, NSW.

Due to coronavirus restrictions the Gallipoli Art Prize will not be hung in a public exhibition at this time as has been done for the last 15 years of the prize.

Instead, people are invited to experience the finalists' works, online at www.gallipoliartprize.org.au, where a virtual tour of the exhibition using 360-degree photography is also available.

Developed by filmmaker Luke Banfield of Balderdash Films, the virtual tour allows viewers to walk through the exhibition, zoom in on individual works and click for more information on each work.

The club is hoping a physical exhibition of this year's prize can take place in Sydney later in the year.

To see the finalists' works, go to https://www.gallipoliartprize.org.au/virtual-tour