Quesnel's Keith Prestone is the runner-up in the Osoyoos Art Gallery's 2025 'Artist Inspired Osoyoos' poster contest.
Prestone has created a series of acrylics of the Bowron Lake Chain, featuring an overlay of the topography and watershed. He said there has been interest in that art from people across B.C. who have paddled in the provincial park.
"For the Osoyoos competition, I created a painting of a very recognizable spot overlooking the lakes and overlaid it with a topographical map and washes of colour," he said. He wanted to highlight the area's beauty and the importance of watersheds.
Prestone is hoping to have his art show in new venues and connect with potential art collectors. He's painted several murals in Quesnel, including one he completed over the summer and has recently lead two group art shows, one in Quesnel and another in Terrace. Prestone has also coordinated the Quesnel Art Trail for several years.
"I believe that the uniqueness and incredible detail of these paintings makes them not only interesting to look at, but gives them a very different context," he said of his work at the Osoyoos contest. "Another way that they stand out is because as you get closer to them, the topographical map stands out more and as you get further away, the landscape stands out more. Thus giving it a very different feeling of depth."
The contest's winner was Greg Reely and Barbara Freese won third place. The gallery Osoyoos gallery received 21 submissions including some artists submitting more than one piece.
Artwork submitted to the contest was to represent a two-dimensional recognizable image of the Osoyoos area in any medium.